I'll Follow You
by Morphme
Summary: Kim is back in Angel Grove for their high school reunion and she is anything but excited about it, terrified of the fact she'll be facing the one person she's tried to leave behind since she left. A new enemy shows their head, reuniting the Rangers in more ways than one. What happens when an old foe shows up as well, hoping to destroy the Power Rangers once and for all?
1. Chapter 1

The Angel Grove airport was bustling with people as I made my way out of the terminal. People were bumping into each other in the commotion, muttering apologies that were barely audible. The TSA agent at the door gave me a small smile, his young complexion seeming to glow under the light from the sun shining through the high windows. The wheels on my rolling carry on clicked as I walked towards the baggage claim; the plastic hitting the tile floor with a rhythm. It felt nice to walk and stretch. After being cramped on an airplane for eight hours, I felt like I was using muscles I hadn't used in years. My back ached, which was nothing new, but the dull pain made me grumble under my breath.

The baggage claim was located around the corner and the group of people that had just left the plane with me was converging around it. Rolling my eyes, I stood towards the back of the group. There was no point in trying to push through. My years of flying have taught me that patience was best reserved for this portion of travelling. No one quite cared about anyone but themselves anymore and this was evident as people practically shoved luggage that didn't belong to them out of the way. I knew I should have paid the extra $50 to have my suitcase become another carry-on, I thought as the crowd began to thin out. The flash of a light pink suit case caught my eye. My initials KH were embroidered on the front of it. Stepping forward, I grabbed it from the conveyor belt and set it on the floor. Extending the handle, I rolled both bags behind me towards the main exit.

"Miss Hart?" A gentleman dressed in a dark blue suit asked me as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. He was standing next to a black town car, the windows tinted black. He was sharply dressed, the suit accenting his salt and pepper hair on the top of his head. I nodded, sliding my round glasses to the top of my head, pinning my caramel brown hair back.

"Yes. That's me." I replied. He smiled, stepping towards me.

"I'm the driver the hotel sent to pick you up. My name is James. It's a pleasure to meet you." I returned his smile.

"Great! I was worried I would have to get a cab. Thank you so much." Bending, he grabbed my large suitcase and carried it over to the trunk. It popped open with a swipe of his foot under the back fender. Careful to not damage it, he slid it inside before turning back for the other one. He did the same with this one, leaving me with only my purse. Shutting the trunk, he walked over to the back-passenger side door and opened it.

"After you, Miss Hart." He said.

"Please call me Kimberly." I replied, climbing into the back of the car. The interior was black, soft leather seats welcoming me. It felt like heaven after the ridged airplane seats. I sunk into the material as he gently shut the door behind me. Setting my purse on the seat next to me, I reached in to grab my compact. If I looked as rough as I felt, I was going to be horrified. James climbed into the driver's seat as I pulled my compact out. Popping it open, I examined myself. My make-up was still intact regardless of the flight from Hell though my hair was another story. There was nothing I could do here though. I closed the mirror with a hard click, tossing it back into my bag. James pulled the car away from the curb and headed down Reverend Boulevard.

"So, Miss Hart, are you in town on business?" He asked as he pulled from the busy road in front of the airport on to the highway that led to downtown Angel Grove. I watched out the window at the sky line I hadn't seen in the better part of a decade.

"No. It's my high school reunion." I answered. Flashes of large mechanical beings filling the sky line came to mind, a glint of pink metal in the sun light. I closed my eyes, pushing the thoughts from my mind. "Hard to believe it's been so long since I was here last."

"Reunions are good though. You can reconnect with people you have lost touch with. I know I'd like to see some of the people I went to school with. Course, I'm way passed the reunion stage though by a few years." He shot me a wink in the rearview mirror which made me smirk.

"I'm with you on that idea. I honestly don't think I'm going to enjoy myself much at this. I wasn't going to come back but my old friends guilt tripped me into doing it."

"Oh, that's the worst. I'm sure they mean well though." We rode in silence for a few minutes, James concentrating on the traffic around us. The busy afternoon commute was in full swing, people heading back home after working all day. School buses carrying children passed us, heading to bus stops. ANGEL GROVE CENTRAL SCHOOL was printed on the side of them. Memories of my own voyages in those came to mind but like before, I shoved them out of my thoughts.

Traffic began to thin out as James headed towards the upper east end of Angel Grove. It wasn't exactly the out skirts of the city, but it was heading that way. Due to my last-minute decision of coming, it was the only area in town with an available room for me to book for the whole weekend. It cost me a great deal more than I felt it should, but I had no other option. At least they tossed in a shuttle for the price I was paying.

"Is there any place you need to stop before we head to the hotel? There is a small convenience store around the corner from there. I will gladly stop so you can pick somethings up if you'd like." James called from the front seat. I shook my head.

"No, thank you. All I need is a drink and a nice shower." He let out a chuckle.

"Rough flight?"

"Totally. There was a family with 6 children on board. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by all of them for the eight-hour trip. I feel like I can still hear the screaming."

"Well, lucky for you, we offer an open bar for a few hours each evening. It's our way to let our guests mingle together and enjoy their stay. There's free snacks, free booze and live music."

"That sounds amazing! I'll have to investigate that while I'm here." James nodded as he pulled into the parking lot of the Tricotta Hotel. It was an enormous building, standing over 15 stores high. It was about as wide as it was tall, windows stretching from one side of the building to the other. It was a newer hotel, the new and shiny feel still apparent as James parked the car in the valet. I rested my purse over my shoulder by the strap while James hopped out. Jogging over to my door, he opened it to allow me to exit. The front door of the hotel was made of metal and glass doors, the metal painted gold to give it an expensive feel. The glass was tinted so I couldn't see much of the inside.

"If you think it looks great on the outside, wait til you see inside!" James said, walking around with my bags. Setting them on the ground, he signaled for the valet attendant. It was a younger boy about eighteen with red hair and soft facial features. He looked like a baby almost with how young he looked. "This is Andrew. He's going to take your bags into the bell hop who will then take them to your room." James said.

"Oh, that's okay. I can take them myself." I replied. Andrew smiled at me.

"It's my job, ma'am!" He chirped before picking up my bags and disappearing inside. It struck a nerve to be called 'ma'am'. I knew I wasn't a spring chick any more, but it still hurt to be referred to in the same way my mother commonly was when we were in public. I tried not to think about the fact I was edging closer to 30 with each passing day.

"Well, Miss Hart, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you have a great stay here with us at the Tricotta." James said, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Thank you, James. Here." I reached into the pockets of my slacks for some money. He held up his hand.

"No can do. I'm not allowed tips. I'll see you later." He smiled at me before walking back over to his door. He climbed in and drove off, leaving the property. Adjusting my purse strap, I headed towards the doors. They automatically opened for me, revealing the large lobby. My mouth gaped slightly as I entered. Like the doors, everything was gold. The large staircase leading up to the second floor had gold railings and marble steps. The carpet was a gold color with golden embellishments. Even the tables holding decorations were detailed with gold etchings. Each table held a gold painted figure, mostly of cherubs and angels. My footsteps echoed on the marble foyer as I walked. On the far-right side of the room, there was the front desk. I headed that way, making eye contact with a woman who was standing behind the desk.

"Good evening! Welcome to the Tricotta. Are you checking in?" She asked. Her hair was long and blonde, sweeping over her shoulder in a curled fashion. I nodded, pulling my confirmation papers from my purse.

"Yes. It should be under the name Kimberly Hart." I replied. She typed on a keyboard in front of her, the keys clicking as her manicured nails hit them.

"I found you! I have a two night stay in a queen bed suite. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Great." Reaching over, she grabbed a little paper card cover and slid a room key into it. "You are in room 1125 on the sixth floor. Breakfast is from six to nine every morning and we hold a free reception every night from six until ten. Will you be requiring any type of travel while staying here?"

"Yes. I'm going to need a ride to Angel Grove High tomorrow night. It's for my high school reunion." I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"How fun! I will set that up for you. Just let the front desk know when you're ready to go and your ride will be ready for you. Enjoy yours stay!" She handed me the room key and signaled the bell hop who appeared from almost nowhere with my bags in hand. He was also a younger guy, his face covered with a slight case of acne and brown locks on the top of his head. He smiled at me before heading towards the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

My room was beautiful. Unlike the lobby, it was decorated with different hues of green. There was a dark green comforter on the bed, complete with white sheets. On the wall, different pieces of art with green forestry were hung. Even the curtains were a shade of green. I looked around, amused with a bittersweet after thought. Of course, it's green. Why wouldn't it be? I tossed my purse of the desk in the corner and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, I picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number of my best friend. It rang twice before someone answered.

"Hello?" Trini Kwan-Scott asked, her voice coming out as if she had just run a mile.

"Trini? Are you okay?" I asked. She let out a small laugh before taking a deep breath.

"I was outside when the phone started ringing. It was like an obstacle course to get in here past little JC's toys. Kim! Did you make it to Angel Grove?"

"Yeah. I just checked into the Tricotta. Which, it's beautiful, by the way."

"I know! Jase and I went to a wedding there about a year ago. How was your flight?" I slid back on the bed, tucking my feet under me.

"Terrible but that's what I get for booking so late. Are you guys doing anything tonight? I could use some time with some familiar faces!" On her end, I heard some scuffling and what sounded like a toy singing. She swore under her breath.

"Sorry. I tripped on a toy. Shocker. Jase and I are totally free though. I'll have him come by and pick you up about eight, okay? That way JC will be in bed already."

"I can't wait to see you guys. I feel like it's been forever."

"I know! I gotta go, Kim. JC is trying to climb the entertainment center. What was I thinking having Jason Scott's demon spawn?"

"I'll see you soon, Tri!" I laughed before hanging up. My spirits were lifted slightly now as I stood from the bed. Walking into the bathroom, I turned the shower on. Slipping out of my clothes, I took a nice hot shower for what was probably half an hour. My body was still achy from the plane ride and I was hoping the heat would help.

As I scrubbed my skin, my fingers lingered on the now faded but still raised scar in the middle of my back. My incision. I try not to think about it, but I always fail to do so. It had been ten years since my accident. The same accident that left me with no future and no hope; pins and needles in my spine. I gruffly shut the water off and climbed from the tub, shoving those thoughts out of my mind. It was my greatest talent in these past few years. Ignoring the thought that brought me pain was the closest to an Olympic sport as I would ever get to.

Wrapping a large white towel around me, I walked back into the bedroom portion of the suite. I tossed my larger suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. My neatly folded clothes were in the same spot I had left them. All those trips to Paris to visit my mother and step-father had taught me the correct way to pack for a trip. Grabbing a new pair of underwear and a clean bra, I dried my skin and pulled them off. I dug deeper into my clothes, looking for something to wear. I mumbled at the amount of pink, hating the cliché I had promised myself not to do but did anyway. My eyes landed on a black off the shoulder top and a pair of light blue jeans. I smirked at the absence of the color I was most known for and quickly changed. When I was finished, I unpacked the rest of my clothes into the dresser at the end of the bed. I hung the dress I was planning on wearing tomorrow in the closet by the door of the suite.

Glancing at the face of the alarm clock on the side of the bed, I noticed it was a little after six o'clock. Jason wasn't due to pick me up for another two hours almost. The thought of sitting in this green colored room by myself with nothing but my thoughts made my heart race. Slipping my feet into my tennis shoes, I grabbed my room key and my cell phone. Walking out of the hotel room, I headed towards the elevator. The little card holder that came with the key had the times and the location for the reception printed on it. In the elevator, I selected the second floor where the dining area was. It was a quick ride down, the golden doors of the elevator opening with a slight ding.

The dining area was directly off the elevator. It was a large room decorated in red, silvers and of course gold. The carpet of the main walk way held designs of swirls with the three colors blending together in an elegant way. It opened up into a dark hardwood floor where tables and chairs were set up. On the far-right side of the room, there was a table set up with various types of snack food. Other guests mingled around here, filling small gold plates with cheese, fruit and crackers as they spoke. On the far-left side of the room, there was a stage set up that was slightly elevated off the floor. An older man was playing a soft melody on the grand piano that was placed there, his head bobbing as he hit the keys. The beautiful sound drifted through the air, not drowning out the soft chatter of the guests though. Couples and small groups of people were scattered throughout the room; some sitting in the chairs at the tables while others stood in the middle of the room. Here, there was a long bar made from carved wood that was the same color as the hardwood floor. It was as if it grew from the floor much like a tree from the ground. Blood red cushions were sewn onto the stools in front of the bar. Some of them were filled with guests who were ordering drinks from the bartender. I spotted an open stool at the end of the bar, closest to the food. I made my way over to it and slid into the seat.

"Hello." The bartender said as she made her way over to me. Glancing up, I couldn't help but notice her eyes. They were very dark brown, almost black. They were also almond shaped, her Asian characteristics filling her facial features. She had to be about forty years old, her long black hair braided behind her back in a neat but disciplined fashion. She ignored my stare as she set a napkin on the bar in front of me. "What can I get you?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry. Can I get a glass of merlot, please?" I asked, coming to my senses. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she set a wine glass on the napkin. Walking over to a wine cooler, she opened the door and grabbed the already opened bottle of red wine. Holding it by the neck, she strutted back over to my area. Grabbing the cork, she tugged on it. A popping noise came as the cork slid out. She poured the wine into the glass, the red liquid splashing slightly up the sides of it as she did. Lifting the bottle back up again, she tucked the cork back inside.

"Let me know if you need anything else." She said before heading back towards the other end of the bar. Something about her left me unnerved. I couldn't quite explain it though. Shaking my head, I took a sip of my wine and tried to relax. Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I unlocked it and the screen lit up the slightly darkened area of the room. Turning down the brightness to protect my eyes and my ability to hide, I opened up my Facebook. Scrolling through the newsfeed, I read about what my friends were up to. Those I had gone to school with mostly posted about being back in town for the reunion tomorrow. Some of my friends from the cheerleading squad had posted pictures from a dinner they had tonight to reconnect. I had been invited but had no desire to attend. Most of those girls had husbands and families now. I'm sure they would all zero in on why the only close relationship I had was with my cat. And even he can't stand me at times.

I kept scrolling down, noticing that a few of my co-workers back in Florida were out celebrating my boss' birthday with her. I was supposed to be with them tonight. I had surprised them though by informing them last night that I had to catch a flight to California for an unexpected reunion. They ragged on me for a bit but let it drop. They had no clue what I was coming back to though. A part of me wished I was there with them right now, avoiding tomorrow at all costs.

Glancing up at the top of the screen, my eyes lingered on the search bar. **_Don't do it_** , I thought as I bit my lip. **_You know what happens when you do this_**. Ignoring my thoughts, I clicked on the bar and brought up my key board. Using my thumbs, I typed in TOMMY OLIVER into the search bar before pressing the magnifying glass on the screen. The page changed, bringing up people and posts that matched his name. The top option was of a profile page that read Tommy Oliver, High School Science Teacher for Reefside, California. Sighing, I touched his profile and brought it up.

Tommy's smiling face looked up at me from his profile picture. It showed him standing next to a jeep, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the vehicle. His once long brown hair was cut short now but his warm and inviting brown eyes still had that happiness in them as he smiled. He did look older now but in a more handsome and distinguishing way rather than a negative effect from aging. He was dressed in a tight fitting black t-shirt and a pair of tan khaki shorts. He seemed happy in the picture as he smiled towards whoever was holding the camera.

Continuing down his page, I hovered over the section that said ABOUT. Tapping on it, I read through his current information. A sense of relief strangely flooded me when it said he was single. I wasn't quite sure why I was glad to see that. Was it because I was alone and miserable, and I was happy to see he might be in the same boat? Maybe I was a more horrible person than I thought I was. Going back to his page, I looked through his posts. Most were about recent findings in the paleontology field the people he went to college with commented on. Others were about martial arts and the indie music scene in Reefside. Jason liked a great number of these posts, writing a comment here or there about a style he wanted to start practicing. As a teacher would, he had a lot of posts about his school. Someone tagged him in a picture with a small group of teenagers. They captioned it The Paleo Club. There were three boys in the picture and one girl, all of them grouped around Tommy in a friendly way. I smiled, proud of the fact he was working so well with teenagers. He had always been great with kids, even when he was a teen himself. I couldn't help but notice though that each of the kids wore a standard color; the girl in yellow, the tall boy in red, the African-American boy in blue and the remaining one in white. Tommy himself was dressed in an off-white blazer with a black shirt underneath it.

Sighing again, I set my phone on the bar and took a long sip from my wine. A pang of sadness hit me. It should make me happy that Tommy seemed to be in a good place in his life. He was a successful teacher with a PhD for crying out loud. So, why did it make me so sad to see that he was doing so wonderfully? I had always known that he was meant for something spectacular. I guess I just always imagined I would be there to see it with my own eyes. I ruined that for myself though. My thoughts wondered to the girl he replaced me with. Kat. Her beautiful blonde hair. My successor. I thought for sure when I had selected her to take my place, it was a good choice. I just assumed though it was just for the job, not my boyfriend.

"Refill?" The bartender's voice asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I nodded, not saying anything as I realized tears had begun to fill my eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying my best to make them recede. They did after a moment as she poured more wine into my glass. Grabbing it, I downed it all and closed my eyes before putting the empty cup down again. Why was I here again? This was such a mistake. I still had plenty of time to get the hell out of Angel Grove before anyone even knew I was here. I could tell Trini and Jason something came up. I wasn't even sure if my other friends were even coming. Opening my eyes, I felt one stray tear slip down my cheek. Wiping it away, I shoved off the bar and stood.

"Kim?" A male voice asked softly as I turned to head back to the elevator. Raising my head to look at the source, I felt the floor underneath me vanish. My breath escaped from inside my lungs and my heart raced as my eyes landed on Tommy Oliver.


	3. Chapter 3

"T-Tommy." I whispered as our eyes met. His brown eyes locked with mine in a stare that made the rest of the room freeze. No one else seemed to move and the music faded, leaving us to our own unfrozen area of the world. I knew it really wasn't like that, but it felt like it at the same time. He looked just like his picture did. His short black hair was gelled and combed to the side, a slight stubble forming on his chin. His torso was dressed in a long sleeve black knitted shirt and dark blue jeans traveled down to his black booted feet. I felt rooted to the spot my feet touched the floor no matter how loudly I mentally screamed at myself to run. He had a bag strung over his shoulder; a green and white gym bag that read REEFSIDE on the front of it.

"I can't believe it's really you." He said softly, his face unreadable. His expression read between lost and anger. The same was happening inside me. Though, I had no real reason to be upset with Tommy. I was the one to blame for all of my own problem.

"I should go." I finally managed to say. Shoving the stool out of my way, I made to walk around him. He caught my elbow though in a gentle way, pulling me to a stop.

"No. Please. Don't go. If this was going to happen, I'd rather it happens this way instead of in front of our entire group of friends." He said to my back. I bit my lip and wrung my hands together in front of me. Maybe he was right. I knew this was going to happen. I had thought about how it would happen the entire flight. I figured he'd get to confront me in the juice bar, call me rotten names and finally get his answers. A thousand scenarios had played out in my mind about this. I just never imagined it would happen here when I wasn't expecting it.

"You're right." I said, turning back to face him. Behind him, the bartender hovered as she pretended to clean the non-soiled counter top. She motioned to my empty glass and I nodded. Walking over to the wine, she grabbed the bottle and another glass. I made my way back to my stool and sat down. Tommy followed, tucking his bag under his seat before sitting in the stool right next to mine.

"Is wine okay?" The woman asked. I watched as Tommy's eyes lingered on the woman in the same fashion mine had when she first spoke to me. He gave a quick nod, not saying anything. Setting the other glass down in front of him, she poured the wine and left the half full bottle between us. "Let me know if you'd like another bottle." She purred before she stalked off, casting a curtain of silence between Tommy and I. Sweat filled my palms as I thought of what to say. I waited for him to say something. He must want to know so much of what happened while I was in Florida to cause me to cut him out of my life like I did. I stared intently at my wine, afraid to look at him. My heart was still racing, filling in the quiet as it pounded in my ears.

"How's the new job?" He asked suddenly, surprising me. Turning to face him, I gave him a confused look. "Jase told me you had accepted a position at a school in Florida to be a music teacher." He explained. "How is it?"

"It's fine. Great, really. Only temporary though. How is your job?" I asked, keeping on the same track as him. Was he as scared as I was to bring it up?

"It keeps me on my toes I suppose. Never thought I'd be where I am though. Mrs. Appleby will be in for the shock of her life when I see her tomorrow." He said, shooting me a small grin. A smile pulled at my lips that I couldn't help but let it.

"That's for sure. I think everyone was a little amazed to see you had gotten your PhD. I guess dinosaurs are just meant to be a recurring theme in your life." I replied, taking a sip of my wine. He nodded, drinking from his as well.

"You could say that." He took another sip before setting his wine down. "So, are we just going to keep making small talk or are we actually going to talk about the thing we've been avoiding for ten years?" He asked, his face hardening. I felt my belly do a flop and I turned my gaze back to my wine.

"Tommy, I have a lot I have to tell you. I don't blame you for being upset with me still. I would be too. It's just not easy for me to talk about. No one really knows what's happened to me while I've been in Florida."

"Try me then. I think you at least own me an explanation about why you broke up with me." He shot back, draining his wine. "Whatever you were going through, I could have been there to help you with. Instead, you went and found someone else to do that, shutting me out of your life completely. Do you know what that did to me? You were the love of my life. I thought some day we were going to get married. Start a family. But you head off to Florida and send me a 'Dear John' letter telling me you've met someone else. That I read in front of all of our friends. That broke me, Kim. And well, if that didn't, the ten years of silence did the job." I could hear the emotions in his voice as he quietly ripped into me. Tears were beginning to fill in behind my eyes, but I did my best to keep them from escaping.

"I know what I did was wrong, but I did it to protect you." I whispered, finishing my wine. I refused to look at him still, putting my hands in my lap.

"Protect me? Protect me from what?" The sudden sound of my phone vibrating across the bar made both of us jump slightly. Picking it up, the picture of Jason Scott and his son that I had set for his caller ID appeared. Swiping the arrow on the screen to the left, I brought it to my ear.

"Hey, Jase." I said, glancing at Tommy. Irritation screamed on his face as his temple pulsed.

"Kimmy, I'm outside of the hotel. Are you ready to come down?" Jason's voice asked.

"What?"

"Trini said you wanted to come over tonight." He said, sounding confused. "You are at the Tricotta, right?"

"Oh. Right. Yes, I am. Give me a few minutes and I'll be right down."

"Sure thing, kiddo. I'm in the red pickup truck." He said before hanging up. I slid my phone into my back pocket and looked at Tommy.

"Jason is outside-." I started but he held his hand up to stop me.

"I heard. I'm supposed to go over there tonight too. I'm going to guess they didn't tell you that, though." He said. I shook my head. "You go. We can finish our conversation at another time."

"You should come with me." I said, dropping off the stool to my feet. He gave me a bit of a surprised look.

"Don't you want to spend time with them without me? I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do. I don't want to cause tension." He replied.

"Tommy, you and Jason are best friends. I'm not going to tell you that you can't go over to his house while you're in town. It's up to you. If you can act civil towards me, I can be civil towards you." He pondered this a moment before standing as well.

"Let me toss my bag in my room and I'll be right down." I nodded as we walked out of the room. He pressed the elevator button to go up and to go down. Both elevators opened. He took the one on the right and I took the one on the left. He gave me one last glance before walking in. Once he was out of site, I hopped on the lift and let out the breath of air I wasn't aware I was holding in. I leaned against the corner of the elevator and buried my face in my hands. This wasn't supposed to go this way. I wasn't supposed to see him here. What the hell was I going to say to him? The truth? I didn't even like saying the words out loud. How on earth could I say them to the one person I've been trying to keep it from since I was seventeen years old?

The doors opened on the first floor. A bright eyed and smiling Jason Lee Scott stood on the other side of them, leaning against one of the end tables with the golden statues on them. The former captain of the football team looked as handsome as ever. His features were just as dashing if not more distinguished by age. He was wearing a red pull over sweatshirt and black jogging pants, standing out like a sore thumb in the fancy hotel lobby. He held his arms up and gave me an expectant look, waiting for a hug. I stepped off the elevator slowly and stopped in front of him.

"That's it? That's all I get?" He asked, giving me a hurt look.

"Tommy's on his way down here." I replied, casting a glance over my shoulder. Jason nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"He was supposed to tell me when he got to town, so I could warn you. Sorry."

"Well, a nice warning that he was going tomorrow would have been nice! You told me yesterday that last you heard, he wasn't coming! What the hell, Jase?!" I exclaimed in a hushed voice, smacking him in the chest.

"Trini and I thought that you wouldn't come if you knew for sure he was going to be here. And when I did talk to him yesterday, he still was up in the air about it. He didn't change his mind until this afternoon. I didn't know you'd both be in the same hotel. What happened?"

"Nothing. We were talking when you called. Jason, you and Trini didn't tell him anything about my accident, did you?" He shook his head quickly.

"No. You told us not to tell anyone and we haven't. Why?"

"Because if I end up telling him, I want to make sure I'm the one he hears everything from. Not the rumor mill." The elevator dinged behind us before the doors opened. Tommy walked out, his long legs taking quick strides towards us. He smiled when he saw Jason.

"Hey, Jase. Good to see you!" He said as the two shook hands.

"You too." Jason said, pulling Tommy in for an embrace. "At least you hug me. Kimmy wouldn't." He said, pouting towards me. I shot him a glare as the boys released each other.

"Hope you don't mind me tagging along." Tommy said, ignoring Jason's comment. Jason waved his hand at his best friend.

"Don't worry about it, bro. You'll have to drive though. My pick-up can only seat two and Trini would have a bird if I let you ride in the back all the way to our house. Cause it's not 'safe.'" He lifted his hands and made the quotation mark movements with his fingers. "Funny how after all we've been through, that's the thing she thinks will do one of us in." He laughed, shaking his head before turning towards the exit.


	4. Chapter 4

Trini Kwan-Scott let out a squeal as Jason led me through the front door of his home. The black-haired woman engulfed me in a tight hug that I returned. The twenty-seven-year-old held me at arm's length before smiling. "Girl, I can't believe you are back here in Angel Grove. You look great too." She said. I smiled back at her, looking over her shoulder at their home. It was a good size ranch style house, the living room large enough for the brown sectional that took up one wall of the room. Children's toys and furniture were grouped in the corner next to it, trying their best to hide. A large entertainment center was across the room, homing a 55-inch flat screen TV. On the walls, decorations of various Chinese art were hung. The beige colored paint made them pop out, creating a relaxing environment.

"Thanks. You look good too." I replied as the door opened behind Jason and me, revealing Tommy. Trini casted a glance from me, to Tommy, to Jason then back to me again. She gave me a small nod of understanding before smiling at Tommy.

"Tommy! So good to see you." She exclaimed, releasing me and walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck in a friendly hug which brought a smile to his face. No matter what anyone felt, Trini was still able to bring the best out of people. I wasn't sure if it was her charm or her grace but something about Trini just eased all the tension that had been present before.

"You too, Trini. You guys sure have done a lot with the place since the last time I was here." Tommy replied. Jason let out a snort as he kicked off his sneakers and headed towards the kitchen.

"Yeah. We added a small child to the mix since then." He called over his shoulder before disappearing. Trini motioned for me to follow her as she headed for the kitchen. Jason returned with two beers in his hand, sending me a wink as we passed. Once Trini knew the boys were out of ear shot in the living room, she turned and looked at me.

"So?" She asked.

"So, what?" I replied, walking over to the table in the middle of the room. The kitchen was modest; hardwood floors shining up at me while bright yellow walls made it feel warm and inviting. I pulled a chair out at the table and sat down. She gave me an annoyed look and sat next to me.

"So, did you talk to him?"

"Why do I feel like you knew he was at the same hotel as me?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. She shrugged, ignoring my question. "No. We were in the middle of it when Jason showed up. He wants to talk later. Trini, I can't do this." I whispered, making sure the boys couldn't hear me.

"You have come all this way, knowing full well there was a good chance he was going to be here. Are you just going to let yourself chicken out now?" She asked.

"If it's an option, I just might be willing to take it. What's the point anyway? It's been ten years. He's probably moved on by now. I mean, he's already been in a relationship since I left. Obviously, it wasn't too hard to get over it." She glared at me, shaking her head.

"Kimberly, you know that his relationship with Kat meant nothing. If anything, it was a rebound to get over the fact you had broken up with him. Besides, when they ended, there was no lost look in his eyes like there was when he talks about you."

"If I'm such a bad thing for him, maybe I should have stayed away then. Plenty of people don't go to their high school reunions. I could be one of them. Hell, I could be on a plane back right now."

"But you aren't. You're here and Tommy is here. And after everything the two of you went through together, you both deserve to see this through. I'm not even referring to the letter. I'm talking about Tommy losing his powers and you being forced to hand over your power coin. No one has suffered as much as you two while being rangers. He knows that just as much as you do. Just letting this hang in the air isn't going to solve anything." Sighing, I nodded because I knew she was right.

"I'll talk to him tonight when we head back to the hotel." I said. Smiling, she stood and pushed her chair in.

"Good! Wine?" She asked. I nodded, knowing I would need some more of that for faux courage that I would need for the conversation to be had. Walking over to the cupboard over the sink, she opened it and pulled two stemless wine glasses from it. She set them on the table on her way to the fridge. Pulling on the bottom of the stainless-steel appliance, she opened the drawer and selected a chilled bottle of white wine. Shoving the drawer closed with her foot, she unscrewed the top off the bottle and poured us each a full glass.

"Thanks. So, how's my god son?" I asked, taking my glass. She smiled, setting the bottle on the table so she could grab her glass.

"The beast is sleeping. Ever since he started walking, it's like I'm battling a monster every day. Thought those days were past me." We both laughed as she hinted towards what felt like a past life. Even though it was a big part of our lives, no one really brings up our Power Ranger days. As time passed, it was almost as if an unspoken rule had been made to not mention our stints as the protectors of Earth. When the reunion invitations went out, it struck me as humorous. Not only would it be a high school reunion, it would be our first Ranger reunion since Trini and Jase eloped. And then, only one other ranger besides me had been there. Zack Taylor had joined us on our trip to Las Vegas for the two's nuptials when Tommy was unable to go due to something at work. It had been such a feeling of relief when I heard he wasn't coming. I should have known he would be here this time to make up for his absence two years ago.

"Well, he is half Jason. You're lucky he isn't trying to do back flips off the furniture yet." She nodded, taking a sip from her glass.

"Tell me about it. Jase is already planning on teaching him martial arts once he's old enough to understand it. Sometimes I feel like I have two children instead of a husband." I smiled at her, shaking my head. "Well, I suppose we should see what those boys are doing." Taking the bottle in her hand, she headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. They weren't there but the front door was open, and the porch light was on. I followed her as she stepped outside. Jason was sitting on the railing of their white porch. He held a beer in his hand and was talking to Tommy who was leaning against a support pillar. Like Jason, he had a beer in his hand as well. Both instantly stopped talking as we came outside.

"Hello, dear." Jason said as Trini stopped in front of him. He pressed a kiss to her lips quickly before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Tommy and I were just catching up. Billy won't be able to make it tomorrow."

"That's too bad! Did he make contact with you, Tommy?" Trini asked. Tommy nodded, taking a sip from the long neck in hand.

"Yeah. He said things were kind of hectic on Aquitar. Said it just wasn't a great time for him to head to Earth." He replied, smiling sadly at Trini. I noticed his glance over at me from the corner of his eyes. "He did say to tell you all that he wishes he could be here and that he will try to visit as soon as things calm down."

"Well, that should be fun. I haven't seen Billy in so long. Zack's coming into town in the morning. His show ends around ten tonight and then he's hopping on a plane. He sure is loving that New York City lifestyle." Jason said, drinking the rest of his beer. He set the empty bottle next to him on the railing.

"It'll be great having the team back together. Has anyone heard from Aisha and Rocky?" Trini asked, looking from Tommy to me. I shook my head, sipping my drink.

"Rocky said that him and Sha would be at the reunion. They said they'd see us all there. I think they are just going to drive into town since they are only in San Francisco." An awkward silence fell over the group. Jason and Trini glanced at each other, speaking in only looks like married people do. The sound of a faint cry drifted out the door which quickly turned into a louder one. Trini sighed.

"Should have known. Wanna go check on him with me?" Trini asked, standing from the railing. Jason looked at her confused.

"Why? I think you can handle it." She glared at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I think seeing his father's face might help." She said through clenched teeth. His look of confusion slowly faded into one of understanding.

"Oh! Right. Sure." He jumped up from the railing and followed Trini in the house, shutting the front door behind him.

"Well, that was subtle." Tommy said, shaking his head.

"That's them in a nut shell." I replied, sitting on the wooden porch swing that hung from the porch ceiling. It creaked as it swung, my back resting against the white painted boards on the back of it. I took a big gulp from my drink and sighed. "We should talk, Tommy." He nodded, not looking up from the label of his beer.

"We should. We don't have to do it here though. I'm sure the two of them think they are helping but it's something we need to do on our own time. I did some thinking on my way over here and I owe you an apology, Kim. I'm sorry for being so angry with you back at the hotel. I guess seeing you for the first time just brought all those feelings back to the surface. I shouldn't have dumped it all on you. I'm so sorry." He glanced up at me with a shameful look on his face.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I deserved all of that and then some. If I was in your shoes, I don't even know if I would look at me, let alone talk to me."

"Ten years is quite some time to stew about something." He replied, standing up. "If you want to talk about it now, we can. But just know that Trini and Jase are standing in the window behind you trying to hear everything through the glass." He smirked at me as he pointed behind me. Turning, I saw the curtains move quickly as our friends tried to move before I saw them. I let out a snort and shook my head.

"Those two never change."


	5. Chapter 5

The tension between Tommy and I seemed to be lifted after he apologized. We spent the rest of the evening sitting around Jason and Trini's living room, catching up on old times. Memories of high school, fighting as a team and life after the Zords were shared. I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as we all talked about what felt like a former life. It felt like a century had passed since we had donned the mantles of our given colors. Talking about it made it all come back to the front of my mind. When I usually think about those days, I try to shove it out of my thoughts. But talking with my former team mates about it, it felt different. It felt like old friends talking about good times rather than monsters who were hoping to kill us. I let myself ponder on the idea that if I hadn't sent Tommy the letter, the four of us hanging out could have been a weekly thing. Just two married couples spending a Friday night together.

A little before midnight, Trini stood and yawned. "I hate to do this to you guys, but I'm beat. JC had me up at 4 am and I'm sure he'll do the same tonight since somebody never seems to hear his son cry." She glared at Jason over his shoulder. He sheepishly shrugged, a hint of red tinting his cheeks.

"Sorry." He mumbled, pulling himself to his feet. "Let me get my shoes on and I'll give you a ride back, Kimmy."

"It's fine. I can give her a lift back." Tommy said, rising to his feet from his spot on the sectional. "I'm going to the same place. No sense in making you drive all the way. Besides, I think you've had one beer too many to drive."

"Sure thing, man." The two shook hands before hugging. Trini turned to me and rolled her eyes.

"Boys." She muttered, pulling me in for a hug. "Tomorrow we should do lunch! Give me a call when you wake up and we can plan something."

"I will. That way, I can actually see my godson." I winked at her as she pulled away.

"Yes. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you. He's such a flirt."

"He gets it from his old man." Jason said, grinning ear to ear as he wrapped an arm around Trini.

"Anything you say, dear." Trini said, looking up at her husband. My heart warmed at the sight of them together. I was glad the two of them had found each other and made it this far. Growing up, I knew they were perfect for each other and it took long enough for them to realize it though. After they left the Ranger team and Rocky Santos and Aisha Campbell took over, Jason and Trini went with Zack to the peace conference in Switzerland. While they were there, Trini met a boy named Mark that she really liked. They dated for a bit, but Mark ended up being worse scum than the monsters Rita and Lord Zedd used to come up with. Jason defended her honor against him which basically means he kicked his ass. After the conference, the two ended up casually dating without telling a soul. When they were finally ready to tell people, it came to no surprise to any of us.

"See you guys tomorrow." Tommy said, heading towards the door. Jase gave me a quick hug before following the two of us out. He stood on the porch as Tommy and I walked down the steps.

"Drive safe!" He called, waving at us before disappearing inside. Tommy's jeep was parked alongside the curb in front of the house. He unlocked it with his key fob as he walked over to the driver's side. He made some quick movement inside as I pulled the door open. Trash flew through the air as he cleaned off the passenger side seat.

"Sorry about that. I don't get many passengers in my jeep." I suppressed a giggle as I climbed in, pulling the door behind me. The smell of Tommy's aftershave wafted throughout the car. It was the same kind he used when he was a teenager. I recognized it instantly. I had bought it for him as a gift after we started dating. Was he still using it now? I buckled my seat belt as he put the keys in the ignition and turned on the engine. Making sure it was clear, he pulled into the street and headed towards the hotel.

"So, tell me about Reefside." I said, hoping to steer away from serious conversation while driving.

"It's a lot like Angel Grove in a way. The high school is nice. I work with some great kids and the staff is great."

"And the fact there are Power Rangers there means nothing, right?" I asked, grinning at him. He smirked, glancing at me as he made a right turn.

"I have no idea what you are referring too."

"Sure you don't. I mean, you just happen to hang out with teenagers who all wear the same colors of the team there and you are sporting a color present in that team as well."

"Sounds like you have been stalking me, Kim." He replied, eyeing me. I felt a blush fill my cheeks, forcing me to look out the window away from him.

"No! I just saw something on Facebook. That's all. I just assumed." I stammered, trying to recover from my admission.

"Uh-huh. But yeah. You caught me. While I was working for a lab after earning my PhD, I discovered these powerful stones called dino gems. While I was looking for them, three kids in one of my classes, Connor, Ethan and Kira, found them. They are good kids and made a great team. A little on the rough side. I don't see why Zordon decided the teenagers were the greatest people for this job. Between school, hormones and monsters, I was eye deep in daily stress. And then, the fourth dino gem was found and it picked me. So, I was back in action."

"Well, out of any of us, I think you were the perfect one to lead them. There was another person on your team though, wasn't there?" I asked. I saw his jaw clench and he nodded.

"Yeah. His name is Trent. He's the white ranger. It's a long story. He's a strong fighter though. Just had a bumpy start."

"How so?"

"He was an evil ranger." The seriousness of his statement hung in the air of the jeep. I could see from the expression of his face that it was still painful for him to think about. Having an evil Power Ranger coming back to haunt him probably made him fall back into the same emotions he felt after Rita Repulsa lost control of Tommy. His time spent as her evil Green Ranger was something Tommy didn't like to talk about when we were kids. He always blamed himself for being weak and unable to resist her. Seeing it happen to someone else in front of his own eyes and having to free them couldn't have been much different than it was for our team when it was him.

"It was a good thing he had you there to help guide him then." I said, giving him a small smile. He gazed over at me for a moment before nodding.

"I suppose." The rest of the drive was silent as he made his way to the hotel. He parked in the lot in front of the brightly lit building, killing the engine. Neither of us moved as he pulled the keys from the ignition. The silence was almost to the point of deafening.

"We should talk." I said. It was becoming a common catch phrase for me lately. He nodded, not looking up from the steering wheel. "I'm in room 1125. If you give me ten minutes, we can talk there." Reaching out, I popped open the door before he responded.


	6. Chapter 6

My heart pounded in my chest as I paced my room. It had been twenty minutes since I had left Tommy in his jeep. I chewed on the fingernail of my right thumb as I paced, my nerves vibrating. What if he wasn't coming? Was I too forward to suggest coming to my room to talk? We could have met in the dining area like before. I should have suggested a drink. Or, we could have just stayed in his jeep and talk. It didn't much matter where it happened. It was going to be a blow to him regardless of where we talked. Sighing, I scooped up my phone and room key in my hand and headed for the door. I pulled it open, revealing a slightly surprised Tommy on the other side of it. I let out a little squeak of shock, startled by him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said softly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"No. You're fine. Come in." I moved to the side to let him in. He took a long step inside, allowing me to shut the door. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. "You want something from the mini bar?" I asked, pointing at the miniature fridge by the dresser. He shook his head.

"I think I had enough alcohol for the night." He said, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous way. Sighing, I sat on the corner of the bed and looked at my hands.

"Tommy, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to do it. After I left for Florida, I was happy. I was training for the Olympics with a world-famous trainer, I had a perfect boyfriend and I didn't have to worry about Rita or Zedd attacking me anymore. At first, everything was great. But then Aisha would call me and tell me about all the things going on in Angel Grove while I was in Florida. About your battles, school and everything the group was doing. Without me. I didn't know it then, but I was starting to get homesick. Everything I did made me think of being back here with you guys. I even begged my coaches to give me a few weeks off, so I could come back and see everyone. They told me if I went, I would be off the team. That I hadn't put enough time in on the team and if I was serious about starting a career in this, I had to keep my head in the game. So, I stayed in Florida and kept practicing. My heart wasn't in it though. All I wanted to do was be here with you and the rest of our friends. I was distracted, my grades started slipping and my team noticed I wasn't doing as well as I was before. My coach suspended me for a week and told me to get my head out of my ass before I came back. My first thought was to come back here for the week. I figured if I was here, I could make up my mind about whether I had made the right choice about leaving. I packed up my things and booked a flight home." I felt tears well in my eyes and I tried to blink them away.

"Hey." He said softly, kneeling down in front of me. "Kim, you don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do." I said. "I was staying in the dorms with the rest of the team. As I was leaving, I was waiting for the elevator. It was taking forever so I decided to take the staircase. Half way down, there was a broken stair. I never saw it until I stepped on it. I ended up falling down two flights of steps. Everything during the fall is fuzzy but I remember waking up laying on the floor. There was so much pain everywhere. I couldn't move, and no one heard me when I called out for help. It felt like forever. Everyone was at practice. A janitor finally found me. I was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery. When I fell, I tore three vertebrae in my back. It temporarily paralyzed me. They were able to put pins in my back to fix everything, but I was told I could never practice gymnastics again. It was too much of a risk. If I twisted or fell the wrong way, it would paralyze me for life. When I was released from the hospital, I was instantly removed from the team. I was replaced before my stuff was even out of my room. My aunt let me stay with her until Mom could come back to the states. I was depressed. I hid in my room. I refused to answer phone calls. I thought my life was over. My only option of a career was gone and everyone I loved was here. When Mom finally made it to me, she asked me what I wanted to do. I told her I wanted to come back to Angel Grove. She said I could as long as Aisha and her family were alright with me staying with them again and understood me risks since my fall.

I called Aisha to tell her the news. Before I could though, she told me about Kat. At first, she didn't want to because the two were becoming friends and she didn't want to cause any trouble. But she said she felt like I deserved to know. She told me that Kat had strong feelings for you. She had confided in Aisha that she was glad I wasn't around anymore because she felt the two of you were getting to know each other really well. That she was being a good friend for you while I was gone and that it seemed to everyone else that you were also beginning to have feelings for her. I was heartbroken. After I had lost everything, you were the one thing I thought I was going to have and here I was being told that you had found someone else. I didn't even ask her about staying. I hung up and cried for what felt like hours. That's when I wrote the letter. In my mind, I thought that if I didn't end things, it wasn't being fair to you. I was this broken person that would need to be sheltered the rest of my life and I couldn't expect you to want to be with that person. I made up the story about another guy in hopes to prevent you from trying to contact me. I knew if I saw or heard you, I'd just give in. I couldn't do that to you." Tears streamed down my face as I ran a hand through my hair. "Tommy, I'm so sorry for doing that to you. You deserved so much better than that."

"Kim, listen to me." Tommy said, taking my hands in his. "You should have told me about the accident. I would have been there in a heartbeat."

"I know. That's why I didn't do it. You had responsibilities here with the Rangers. I couldn't ask you to come be with me when the world was at risk. People could have died, and I couldn't have that hanging over your head. You had a team that was counting on you. Zordon was counting on you to lead them and I couldn't risk you leaving your job to come sit by me."

"You could have given me that choice." He said, standing. He ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me this when I saw you on the island of Muranthias? After the battle was over. We could have talked."

"When I was under that spell, something happened in my mind. Its powers kept showing me all of my deepest fears that I had hidden in the back of my mind. It was like a horror movie was being played on repeat that I couldn't shut off no matter how much I tried. All I could see was Kat and you together, fighting side by side, in the spot where I should have been. My own voice was telling me how much you had moved on since I wrote the letter. That you had probably slept with Kat before the ink had even dried. Then it showed me the two of you in bed together. I fueled the rage that the spell wanted me to feel. It was like I was watching myself attack you and I wasn't sure if I wanted to stop. And then Kat got in my way, I thought for sure I was going to kill her. Everything in me told me to. The voice in my head kept telling me that she had been the one who took you away from me. That she was the reason I had lost my powers. That I wasn't a Power Ranger anymore. But I knew in the back of my mind that it wasn't her fault. I had been the one who left. I was the one who broke up with you. I tried to convince myself to ignore the voices. Kat was my friend. It was no use though. No matter how hard I fought it, the bad thoughts I had about her kept coming back stronger than before." I stood up, crossing my arms in front of me. I didn't look at him as I took a few steps away from the bed. "I almost gave into it until you took off your helmet. Once I saw your face and heard you voice, I knew I had to fight it. I knew that if I didn't, I would never be able to see you again and everything would have been my fault."

"You were under a spell, Kim. The fact you were trying to fight it shows how strong of a person you are. Wait." He stopped for a second, looking at me. "If you aren't able to perform gymnastics anymore because of the risk, doesn't that mean you can't fight either?" I nodded, peering up at him. "While you were fighting on Muranthias, you were risking your injuries!" He exclaimed. "Kim, you could have gotten seriously hurt. You could have ended up in a wheel chair for the rest of your life. Why didn't you say something?"

"I couldn't just let you guys fight when I was there to help. Jason would have ended up dying in the volcano if I hadn't. Why is my life worth more than anyone else's?" I whispered.

"What about the martial arts tournament afterwards? You were there. You could have said something to me then."

"I saw how you were with Kat. I didn't think it would matter then if I told you. You two looked happy together and I had no right to pour salt in old wounds. That's why I left without saying anything. Jason covered for me though." Sighing, Tommy rubbed his face with his hands.

"My relationship with Kat, though it was nice, wasn't much of anything. I knew she liked me and I figured it would be a good idea since I had just been broken up with. There wasn't much there though. We didn't like the same things. She always talked to moving back home after we graduated. I wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving the states though. It got to the point there I was just following the routine of being a boyfriend with her. I think that's why she wasn't too shocked when I suggested we end things before she went off to college. She understood what was going on between us and why it wasn't the same for me as it was for her." He explained, turning to face me. I leaned against the wall, my knees feeling weak from my confession to him. "She was standing next to me in the command center when we saw that you had been captured. When I saw your face on the screen, it was like time hadn't passed. All I knew was that you were in danger and I needed to save you, regardless of the cost. When Divatox said she had released you guys in the water, my heart sank to my toes when I saw the dummies floating at sea. I thought for sure you were dead. It had been two years since you had left me, and I was in a committed relationship with someone else who was right next to me and still, all I cared about was whether or not you were alive. I'm surprised Kat didn't walk out on me after that. Rocky told me though that she knew no matter how hard she tried, she would never be the one thing I needed; you."

"Tommy…" I whispered, trailing off. "I never meant to hurt you. All I wanted to do was to make sure you didn't waste the rest of your life taking care of me when I didn't even want to look at myself. You still had a future ahead of you and I didn't want you to rearrange your life so you could be with me. It wasn't fair to you. And I figured since you never reached out to me after I sent the letter, you were fine with us ending things. Even though I didn't want you to, I had always hoped you would come find me and try to work on things. When you didn't, I knew I had made the right choice."

"I thought you were with Jason." He responded in a soft voice. "When I read the letter, he was the first guy that came to mind. And then the two of you were captured together. It made sense to me at the time. I wanted to punch his lights out and scream at the both of you. But then he confided in me that he had been seeing Trini since after they had left the team. Do they know about your accident?" He asked. I nodded.

"The two of them came to see me after they were back from Switzerland. It was right after my accident. I didn't want to tell them but my aunt slipped up while they were in the room. I had no choice but to tell them. And then I told them I had broken up with you. They tried their hardest to get me to call you. To go back to Angel Grove with them to fix things. I couldn't though. Aisha had told me that Kat and you had already been on a few dates. I couldn't dare to face you then. I swore the two of them to secrecy though. Especially Jason. He wanted to tell you so bad."

"I'm glad he didn't I suppose." Tommy said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I don't think I would have believed it if I had heard it from anyone else but you. I've spent so much time being mad at you. Wondering why you found someone else to replace me with."

"I didn't. No one could replace you, Tommy."


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, I woke up from what felt like the best night of sleep I've gotten in years. Climbing out of bed, I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. A small smile was on my lips that I knew hadn't been there before. Talking to Tommy last night made me feel like a ten-year-old ten ton brick had been lifted off my shoulders. It felt amazing to tell him after all this time and to come clean about everything. After we talked, Tommy stuck around for a little while and told me he would see me the next day. He left with a smile, leaving me with one that was still on my face.

After showering, I changed into a pair of blue jeans and a pink t-shirt with the logo of the school I teach for on the front. Grabbing my grey sweat jacket, I tossed it on and headed down for breakfast. I didn't pass any one on my way to the elevator which I rode alone. When the doors opened on the second-floor dining area, I was hit in the face with the smell of bacon and toast. My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't ate anything since breakfast yesterday. Stepping out, I entered the dining room where people lingered at tables like they had last night. Guests had plates full of food in front of them, eating and talking to one another as they did. I noticed there were no kids here, a reoccurrence from last night. There had been no kids then either. Maybe this was a children free hotel. Or it was booked with couples who were here for events like the reunion that wished to spend a children free weekend. I shrugged the idea off, walking to the right side of the room where five large golden plated buffet chafers were arranged.

Grabbing a gold plate and some silverware, I grabbed some eggs, bacon, toast and a banana before sitting down at a smaller table by myself in the corner. The bartender from last night was walking around with a pot of coffee. When her eyes landed on me, she smiled and walked over. "Coffee?" she asked. I nodded, returning her smile. She grabbed two coffee cups from the bar and set them on the table next to me. She poured the hot liquid into each one.

"I only need one." I stated as she poured. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I figured your friend who just walked in might enjoy one as well." She said before walking off. Looking up towards the door, I saw Tommy standing there. His eyes swept the room until they landed on me. My breath hitched when he smiled, giving me a small wave before he turned towards the food. In record time, he grabbed some breakfast and made his way over to my table.

"Good morning. Do you mind if I sit with you?" He asked.

"You don't have to ask, Tommy." I replied, smiling at him as he slid into the chair across from me.

"Well, I figured it was be the polite thing to do." He said, taking a bite out of the toast on his plate. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well actually. I think it was the best I've slept in a decade. You?" He nodded.

"Likewise. My head hit the pillow last night and that was it. Sorry if I over stayed my welcome in your room."

"No. You were fine. I'm glad we were finally able to talk. I think that's why I slept so well." I answered, sipping out of the coffee cup.

"I'm glad we did too. Excited about the reunion tonight?" He asked, scooping some eggs into his mouth. I rolled my eyes.

"I guess you could say that. I can't wait to see Aisha, Rocky and Zack. I could do without the rest of the school though."

"Really? You had a lot of friends in school. Don't you want to see them?" I shrugged.

"I've kept in contact with some of them when I need to. Social media does wonders for that. The only people I wanted to see are you guys. I really wish that Billy was coming back for at least the night. I haven't seen him since I left for Florida. We've kept in contact over the years but I know it's hard for him to reach out to us from Aquitar."

"Him and I have been working on building a device to make it easier for him to visit. He hasn't been to Earth in years because of the difficulty in it. It's been a work in progress but I think we will develop something soon." I smirked at him.

"Would you look at that. Dr. Tommy Oliver working on building an invention with Billy Cranston. That's something I never thought I'd see." I said. A pink tinge filled his cheeks as he smiled sheepishly.

"I know. I just want to help him get back here to see everyone. He misses his father terribly. I think a part of him regrets having to make the decision to go there." I nodded, a silence falling over the both of. We eat in the quiet, enjoying each other's company for a moment. When my plate was cleared, I pushed it away from me and set my arms on the table.

"What are your plans for the day?" I asked, drinking the rest of my coffee. He finished his last bite of French toast and shrugged while he chewed. He washed it down with coffee before sitting back in his chair. Today, he was dressed in a dark red t-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans.

"Not sure. I know Jase said something about going with him to get Zack from the airport. You have plans with Trini, right?" I nodded.

"She said she'd like to go shopping. I haven't spoken to her yet about it though. How's your mom by the way?"

"She's doing great. Her and her new husband moved to Reefside a few years ago to be closer to me. It's nice having family close by. What about your parents?" I snorted, setting my coffee cup on the table.

"Mom is still in Paris though her and Pierre have since split. Apparently being a painter in Paris was too much of a turn on for women around him. He cheated on Mom so she kicked him out. She is trying to relocate her business back to the states though. She said that she thinks being back home will be good for her." My cell phone vibrated on the table next to my plate. Trini's face lit up my screen. "Sorry. One sec." Picking it up, I slid the arrow over to the answer button. "Hey, Trini."

"Morning! How'd it go? Did you talk to him?" She asked. I could tell he could hear her from his seat because he grinned.

"I'll tell you later. Did you still want to go shopping?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"That's why I'm calling. JC was up most of the night with a bad cough. I think I'm going to stay home and try to make him feel better before he heads off to Jase's parents for the night. If you want, you can come on over and see him. I know Jase was supposed to take Tommy with him to the airport to get Zack. See if Tommy will give you a lift over."

"Okay. I'll give you a call in a little while to let you know. Bye, Trini."

"Bye!" She said before hanging up. I set the phone on the table and let out a soft chuckle.

"Not quite sure if she will ever learn the art of being subtle." Tommy laughed, stacking our plates together into a neat pile.

"More than likely not. It is Trini. I'm glad she's concerned though. Did you want a ride over there? I'll be happy to take you."

"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it. I don't want you to think you need to drive me around all weekend."

"It's fine. I offered. We can head over now if you'd like. I've got nothing going on."

"Sure." We both stood, pushing our chairs in. As we did, the ground under our feet began to rumble. I looked at Tommy confused when the rumbling grew into a shaking. The sound of china and glass breaking filled the room as people let out cries of terror. The shaking increased in force, knocking me off my feet. I fell forward into Tommy who caught me in his arms. He stepped backwards against the wall, covering my head from falling debris as pieces of the ceiling began to crumble.

"It's an earth quake!" He called over the deafening noise. I nodded, peaking out through a crack between Tommy's arm and his side. People dove under tables for protection. Bottles of booze flew off the bar, crashing on the ground into millions of pieces. Plates from the buffet fell to the floor, shattering as they hit. A crack above our heads made us look up. There was a large piece of plaster breaking off from the ceiling, dangling over our heads. "Run!" Tommy yelled, tucking me against him as he took off away from the danger. The piece gave way, falling and exploding like a plaster bomb on the ground where we had just stood. We ducked under the lip of the bar, doing our best to avoid the glass that was falling like hail around the room.

Just as suddenly as it started, the shaking stopped. Silence fell over the room as the quakes ceased. People poked their heads out from under the table to see if it was safe to come out. Tommy uncovered my head, releasing his hold on me. "Are you alright?" He asked, helping me to my feet. Holding my shoulders, he gave me a quick look over to make sure I hadn't been injured. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. We better make sure everyone else is okay." Together, we helped everyone climb out from under the tables and out into the hallway away from the glass and debris. The hallway had remained untouched, looking as if nothing had just occurred. Once everyone was out, two hotel officials appeared in the doorway of the stair well. They motioned everyone to follow them down to the first floor. Tommy and I waited until everyone else was gone before making our way behind them.

In the lobby, all the guests of the hotel and the staff were grouped together. Several officials were trying to regain order, asking people to remain calm until they figured out what happened. I reached for my phone to call Trini when I realized I had left it on the table we had been sitting at. Swearing, I glanced over at Tommy who was talking to the man behind the front desk. He nodded before walking back over to me. "What did he say?" I asked.

"It's early but they think it was a pretty good size quake but it only seemed to affect this side of town." I looked at him confused.

"What? How is that even possible?"

"It's not. The way Angel Grove was built, the entire town is built on the fault line. If we felt the shaking, the rest of the town should have felt it too." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby to hear us. "The news is saying that it might have started out in the desert. Kim, you know what's out there."

"The Command Center." I whispered. He nodded.

"C'mon. We should check it out. I don't think there's anything left there that could have caused this but you never know."

"Right." I followed Tommy out the front door of the hotel. Outside, pieces of the hotel had fallen, landing on the side walk around the building. Nearby buildings were also affects, people lining the streets to access the damage. His jeep was untouched, parked a safe distance away from any structures. Avoided pieces of concrete that had fallen, we climbed into his jeep. Pulling out of the parking lot, he headed towards the edge of town. The streets along the way were filled with items that had fallen during the earthquake. Tommy drove carefully around them, the road broken in parts. The buildings began to thin as we left Angel Grove and headed into the desert. About three miles away, Tommy took a sharp right off the road and headed towards the mountain range.

A few years after I left, Jason had called to tell me what had happened. The Command Center, which had been a second home for us, was destroyed. I didn't believe him at first. I thought for sure the structure would always be standing and that nothing could break down the walls that we had learned so much in. But when he showed me a picture of the rubble, I quickly believed him. He explained that not only had it been destroyed but the Power Coins were lost as well. The Rangers found the Zeo Crystal at that point, using it to become the Zeo Power Rangers. Their new base was located under the Command Center in the hidden chambers. They had stayed there as they transitioned into the Turbo Rangers. I wasn't quite sure what happened after that. All I knew was that after I had seen everyone during the battle with Divatox, Zordon was killed. It left a hole in me that I never thought possible.

"What the hell is that?" Tommy said, breaking me from my thoughts. Glancing at him, I saw he was looking out of the windshield towards the sky. Leaning forward, I followed suit. Above us, there was a bright light. It seemed to follow us as he drove. Its size kept changing as we went. The mountains came closer, forcing Tommy to stop. In the sun light, I could see the broken remains of the Command Center. The light hovered over the ruins for a moment, as if it was looking at us, before slamming into them. Dust, smoke and sparks filled the air when it disappeared.

"We should call Jason." I said, glancing over at him. He nodded, fishing his cell from his pocket. Handing it to me, I dialed Jase's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Tommy! Are you with Kim? We've been trying to get ahold of her." He said, sounding frantic.

"Jase, it's me. I'm with Tommy. You and Trini have to get to the Command Center as soon as possible."

"That Command Center? Kim, what are you talking about?"

"Just get here and we will explain." I hung up the phone and looked over at Tommy.

"We'll have to climb the rest of the way." He said, yanking his seat belt off. I did the same, opening my door. Both of us jumped out, peering up at the rocky mountain face that led to the Command Center. It had been well over a decade since the last time I had climbed this and I was not looking forward to doing it again. "Kim, you should stay here. I'll go up and see what it is."

"I'm not letting you go alone. I'll be fine. If it gets to be too much on my back, I'll stop." Reaching up, I gripped on to a larger rock and pulled myself up. Behind me, I heard Tommy mumble under his breath as he followed. Together, we made our way up the rocky mountain side. It wasn't as rough as I thought it would be, a path still there from when we were kids and teleporting wasn't an option. The smell of something burning filled my nostrils as we grew closer, heat filling the air. I reached the top of the mountain and gasped.

"Kim? You okay?" Tommy asked, appearing next to me. I covered my mouth with my face, feeling my breath thin. It was the first time I had seen it like this. Though it had looked bad from the ground, I couldn't have imagined the scene that was in front of me. The charred remains of the building were stacked here and there in ruins. Scorch marks blackened pieces of it, the tall structure brought down to nothing more than a pile of stone.

"I don't know what I was expecting." I whispered.

"I forgot you haven't been here since. I'm sorry." Wrapping an arm around me, he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I never should have left. I should have been here. I could have done something." I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

"Kim, there was nothing no one could have done. Believe me. I watched it with my own two eyes. Billy almost died trying to stop it. And when the Power Chamber went, the Rangers said that they tried to stop it and Zordon told them to go. He knew there was no way to avoid it so he made sure they escaped before anyone else died. All he wanted was the best for all of us, including you. Believe me. He knew that you were meant for more than just being a Power Ranger."

"Apparently not." I muttered, pulling away from him. I let out another gasp and jumped when I looked up. Where the rubble had been was now a fully constructed Command Center. Tommy looked at me confused before turning around to see for himself. He let out a gasp as well, stepping back in shock.

"But…but how?" He whispered, stepping forward. "It was just nothing two seconds before." Stepping around him, I headed for the entrance. "Kim, wait! We should stay put til Jase and Trini get here. Then we can figure everything out." I stopped, glancing over at him.

"What if that light was Zordon somehow? What if he managed to survive and he's rebuilt it?" I questioned.

"Then we will see when they get here. For right now, we just need to wait for them, okay?"


	8. Chapter 8

It felt like an eternity but an hour later, Trini and Jason climbed up the same path Tommy and I took. Jason's and Trini's faces were the same as ours when they saw the Command Center. "How in the world is this even possible?" Jason asked, eyeing the building.

"There was a large white light that hit it before we climbed up here. First, it was just a pile of rocks and the next thing we know, the Command Center is standing tall above us." Tommy said. He had climbed back down to his truck to grab a back pack of supplies. It was strapped to the back half of him, three flash lights in hand. He handed one to Trini, Jason and me before pulling another one from his pocket. "We waited for you guys to get here before going in."

"I don't know. Should we even risk it? We don't know what could be hiding in there." Trini said, looking up at the structure.

"No but it's just too much of a coincidence that this happened after the earthquake that only rocked HALF of Angel Grove." I said, turning the flashlight on before walking towards the entrance.

"Kim!" The three of them called behind me. Stepping inside the large stone entry way, all I could see was darkness. Aiming the flash light ahead of me, I walked the familiar path along the corridor. The walls stood tall above me, etches in Zordon's native language were carved into the walls. I heard Trini, Jason, and Tommy's foot steps behind me as they caught up.

"I wish you would stop doing that." Tommy growled, grabbing my elbow gently. "You don't know what's in here and in your condition, you can't really fight them off."

"Tommy, I'm fine. Really." I replied, trying my best to not snap at him. I continued walking again, coming up on the door to the main chamber of the Command Center.

"How are we going to get in? We don't have our Power Coins anymore." Trini said, shining the light up the length of the door. Reaching out, she touched it to get a better look. When she did, the spot on the door she touched began to glow yellow. Shocked, she stepped back away from it and removed her hand. The glowing spot remained though.

"Hmmm." Jason murmured. He did the same as Trini, touching the door next to where she had. Like hers, it illuminated with a red light. I followed suit, pressing my palm again the stone door. A pink glow lit up my face as I pulled my hand back. The three of us glanced at Tommy as he lifted his hand. He touched the space next to mine. As we expected, it glowed white. When he moved his hand though, the white darkened to green. Tommy stared at it, amazed at the change. He went to speak but the door loudly creaked open then, the sound vibrating off the walls. It continued to open until there was a large enough gape for us to slip through. Jason stepped forward first this time, passing between the two slabs of stone. Trini followed, gripping his hand in hers. I followed behind her, Tommy bringing up the rear.

Inside, the room was pitch black. Even with the faint beams of light from our flash lights, we could barely see anything around us. Turning, I went to say something to Tommy when the door slammed shut behind us. Trini and I both let out yelps when the sound shook the room. Under our feet, the ground began to tremble slightly. It felt like a herd of elephants was running nearby, making the ground vibrate with such fierceness. I felt someone reach out and grab my hand. I knew from the long, slender fingers on it that it was Tommy's. I gripped it tightly, trying to see what was going on around us. The darkness was too much on my eyes though. I could just make out the light from our flash lights but it seemed like the black was swallowing it up.

Suddenly, the floor in front of Jason began to glow a bright red. It lit up the area around him before a blast of red energy flew into the air above him. It swirled around the room, it's shape changing as it circled. The same thing happened with Trini, a yellow ball of energy flying out of the ground to join Jason's. At my feet, a pink glow began. Inside of my chest, a warm feeling appeared. It felt safe and familiar as I watched the pink ball of light shot passed me and into the air. It hovered over me for a second while a green light appeared at Tommy's feet. It took the least amount of time to fly out of the stone floor, colliding with the pink light in the air. They flew together, almost chasing each other in a playful way. As the four colors began to dance around, the room began to lighten with each trip around they took. The outline on control tables and tubes began to form and I could make out the large glass chamber that stood tall on the north side of the room. Above our heads, the lights travelled faster and faster. It made me dizzy to watch them at the speed they were going.

From the other side of the lightening room, a black ball of light shot up. It joined with the others, spinning high in the air. Glancing over, I could make out the shadow of a figure. They stood there, looking up at the lights like we were. As the room continued to brighten, I realized Zack Taylor was the person standing there. Our former team mate looked just as surprised as us. "Guys! What is going on?" He asked, sprinting over to us. The African-American dancer was dressed in a black blazer with a white shirt tucked underneath it. Black jeans covered his legs and a pair of sunglasses rested on the top of his head. "I was at the airport waiting for Jase to come pick me up and the next thing I knew, I was standing here."

"We don't know." Jason replied, turning back up towards the lights. "Whatever those things are, they know our colors."

"Why is there a green one instead of a white one, though?" Zack asked, glancing at Tommy who could only shrug. I noticed Zack's eyes lingered on Tommy's grip of my hand, but he didn't say anything. The lights sped up again, a whistling noise joining them. It was so high pitched that it made us all cover our ears in protest. The lights began to glow brighter now, blinding us. I shielded my eyes with my arm, trying my best to not look away. It was too much though, as they glowed so brightly that everything looked white. The whistling increased to until it was almost deafening. And then everything stopped.

Opening my eyes, I turned to look around. The Command Center was fully lit, the control panels flashing like they did when we were active rangers. The tubes around the room were also working, connecting power to various parts of the center. None of us dared to move as we glanced at each other. It had been forever since we had been together here as a team and here we were. Turning towards the chamber that once held Zordon, my hope was dashed when I realized it was lit but empty. The others looked as well, Tommy's hand squeezing mine gently.

"Hello?" A voice called from the far corner of the room. We all jumped into fighting stances as we turned to see what it was coming from. Footsteps echoed off the walls as a man came into the light. He was dressed in all silver, his fitted pants and a silver and blue sweater looking reflective in the glow of the room. Billy Cranston stopped when he saw us and then gaped at the functioning room behind us. "Incredible!" He exclaimed, pushing passed Tommy and I to look at them.

"Billy, what are you doing here?" Tommy asked, trying to gain the scientist's attention. Billy didn't seem to hear him though as he began pushing buttons and turning knobs on the controls. "Billy!" Tommy yelled, making him jump.

"Huh? Oh! My apologies. I was on Aquitar when I suddenly was teleported here. Are we currently in a functioning version of the Command Center?" He asked.

"Seems that way." Jason replied, stepping towards Billy. The two hugged before Billy turned to face Trini and me.

"You look well, Billy." Trini said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. I gave Billy a small smile as he glanced over at me. His feelings for Trini had always been a topic that stayed between him and me. I had always known that Billy was head over heels for Trini but he asked me to let him deal with it his own way. When we all discovered that her and Jason were seeing each other, Billy took it pretty hard. He met his wife shortly after that however. Though the two were now married, I could still see the emotions in his eyes as he held her. Slipping from the hug, Trini moved aside so I could step forward.

"I missed you." He whispered, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I missed you, too." I replied, kissing his cheek. Holding me at arm's length, he frowned.

"I was informed about your accident. Aquitar has an extensive history of Earth. It keeps files on all of the Power Rangers as well. Your accident was reported. I'm so sorry." I smiled at him.

"It's alright, Billy. I'm fine now." He let go of me and turned to face Tommy. The two spoke as Zack snuck up behind me and picked me up off my feet in a tight embrace.

"Kimmy!" He exclaimed, setting me back down. "You look great! How are you?" He asked, looking down at me. He was only a few inches taller than me, the shortest man in the room.

"Well, I was doing fine until we ended up here." I replied.

"Billy, what is all this?" Trini asked, waving her hand at the Command Center.

"I'm not sure. The Command Center was destroyed years ago. Some greater power has reconstructed it and brought us all back here." He replied.

"There was an Earthquake before all this happened. Could it come from that?" Tommy asked. Billy shrugged.

"Maybe. Or, it could have caused it. I won't know until I do some research." Billy replied, stepping towards the main computer center. He began to press some buttons and turn dials, the same way he used to do when we were Rangers. He looked perplexed as he worked, stroking his chin now and then. Trini stood next to him, gazing over his shoulder at the screens. It looked like a foreign language to me so I stood in the back of the group as we waited for Billy to speak again.

"Hey." Tommy said softly, breaking my thoughts. Turning my head, I looked up at him as he stood over me. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just wish I knew what was going on." I answered, glancing back over at our friends.

"I'm sure Billy and Trini will figure something out. They always do." I nodded, not saying anything. "Kim? What's the matter?"

"When the light came from the floor, it was like I could feel it inside of me. It was so warm and reminded me of something. I can't put my finger on it though. Like I had felt it before."

"Like morphing?" He asked. I nodded, locking eyes with him. "I know. I felt it too. I don't understand though. Our powers are gone. The power coins were lost to the Rangers before they were forced into space. It was the only connection to the morphing grid."

"How else would you describe it then?"

"I'm not sure."

"I think I found something." Billy said, looking over at all of us. Tommy and I walked towards them, his hand on the small of my back. "According to the computer, something with extraordinary power entered the universe and created a ripple in ozone. Whatever it was seemed to land here in the same location of the Command Center. I cannot lock on to what it was exactly though. It's not granting me access to that information."

"A higher power? God only knows what it could be." Zack muttered, shaking his head.

"Maybe we should be looking around. Whatever it was could still be here. It was powerful enough to rebuild the Command Center. That thing could still have enough power to do some damage to the people of Angel Grove." Jason said, glancing at Tommy who nodded.

"Right. Zack, you and Jason take the north wing. Kim and I will take the south. Trini and Billy, keep working on finding some answers. Everyone meet back here in ten minutes. Got it?"

"Yes." The group said. Jason lit his flashlight again while Zack took the one Trini was using. The two walked towards the right side of the Command Center, heading towards the medical bays and the kitchen. Tommy led me towards the opposite side of the room, exiting out the side of the room. The hallways were lit up now, lights illuminating the corridor from the ceiling every few feet. The dark blue color of the floor and the walls made everything feel like we were underwater. Tommy walked first, keeping an eye on the area in front of us but also on me. Rolling my eyes, I stepped in front of him and ignored his protest as I took the lead.

"You need to stop acting like I'm going to break if you take your eyes off of me." I said, not looking at him. We passed the bunkers, the area where we would sleep and spend time when we weren't fighting monsters made out of purses, plants or whatever object Rita and Zedd found appealing that day. The doors to them opened as we walked by, revealing nothing of interest in there.

"I'm not trying to." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't want you to do any more harm to yourself."

"Tommy, I know what my body can handle. You need to trust me. I've lived with this injury for ten years now. I've come to understand my limits."

"Okay. But promise me that you won't push yourself too far."

"We have bigger things to worry about right now, don't you think?" I asked.

"No, I don't." Reaching out, he grabbed my elbow and pulled me to a stop. "Kim, I lost ten years with you. I'm not about to risk anymore lost time." He locked eyes with me and I felt my pulse quicken as my heart raced. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you ever again."

"I-." I started to speak but Zack's yell made both of us jump. Spinning on our heels, Tommy and I took off running towards the direction it came from.


	9. Chapter 9

"Zack?" I called, running around the corner that led to the training rooms. The main one was open, lighting pooling on the ground where the door was propped open. Zipping into the room, Tommy and I came to a sudden stop. Standing in the middle of the room was Jason and Zack. Between them, a red and gold colored robot stood. Alpha 5 was frozen in his spot, the circular diameter of his head dark where his red visor usually shined. The yellow lightning bolt on his chest was also dark and his arms hung limp at his sides. "Oh, Alpha." I whispered, stepping towards him.

"This doesn't make any sense. Alpha went to Eltar with Zordon. What is he doing here?" Jason asked.

"None of this makes sense." Zack said, shaking his head. Reaching out, I pressed my palm against the bolt of lightning on Alpha's chest. He was cold to the touch and didn't buzz with electricity like he used to.

"Is he dead?" I whispered, terrified to glanced at any of the men beside me. Jason gripped my shoulder in his hand.

"His batteries probably are. Maybe Billy can find a way to boot him up. Alpha might have some answers." He said, looking at me with a small reassuring smile. I nodded, drawing my hand back from Alpha. "C'mon. Let's get Billy so he can take a look." The four of us turned to leave when a loud popping noise filled the room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that smoke was starting to come from the back of the small robot.

"R-R-R-R-R-Rangers." A mechanic voice bellowed, echoing off the walls. Alpha's fingers twitched as the lights on his front panel began to faintly glow.

"Guys! Look!" Zack called, pointing at Alpha. The small band on the golden dome of his head lit up, the red bead of light moving back and forth across the small screen.

"Rangers. Rangers. R-R-R-R-R-Rangers." The robot spoke, his body moving more now. His knees and elbows bent slightly as he waved his limbs in simply motions.

"Alpha! It's us." Jason said, stepping over to him. Alpha looked up at Jason.

"Jason! It is you!" He peered over at the rest of us. "Rangers! You are no longer teenagers."

"No. It's been quite some time since we have been. Alpha, what are you doing here?" The robot shrugged, holding his arms up.

"I'm not sure. The last thing I can recall I was standing on Eltar speaking to a class of prospective students and now you are here. Where is here?" He asked, looking around the room.

"It's the Command Center." Tommy said. Alpha shook his head.

"That cannot be accurate, Tommy. It was destroyed while you were still a Ranger. We moved to the Power Chamber then."

"I know, Alpha but it's true. Something brought you and the Command Center back here. Do you have any idea who?"

"No. I would need to use the computer to calculate what happened." He started walked towards the door. "Oh, I'm so stiff!" He exclaimed, wiggling his body the best he could as he walked. The four of us followed him as he made his way back to the main chamber of the Command Center. Trini and Billy were still pouring themselves over the control panel when the metallic sound of Alpha's footsteps made them look up. Both looked at the automaton in shock.

"Alpha!" Trini said, running forward and throwing her arms around him. He returned the gesture, patting her on the back.

"Trini, it's so nice to see you again. You too, Billy. It's nice to see all of you together. Please, allow me to see what has happened to bring us all back together." He stated. Billy and Trini stepped aside, allowing him to access the controls. Like they had done, he pressed buttons and dials. Due to his lack of facial features, I couldn't tell if it was working or not. "Ai, yi yi! Something is trying to come through!" He exclaimed. The floor below our feet started to shake, a faint rumbling noise coming from above our heads as the structure swayed with the shaking.

"What is it, Alpha?" Trini asked, gripping Jason's arm for support.

"I don't know. It's trying to come in from above. I'm trying to stop it." He frantically pushed more buttons as the shaking increased.

"Everyone hold on to something!" Tommy called out, wrapping a protective arm around my waist. The ground trembled under my tennis shoes and for the second time that day, I could barely stay on my own two feet. Around the room, what felt like static electricity began to form. It crackled in the air and made mine and Trini's hair stand almost on end. The crackling continued, visible sparks of electricity filling in the air above our heads. It grew with power as the ground shook more.

"Ai yi yi yi! I can't hold it off anymore!" Alpha cried as he was knocked off his feet. Zack and Billy lost their footing, sending them crashing into Jason and Trini. They fell to the floor, Tommy and I following shortly behind. A bright white light pierced through the room, spinning in a similar fashion as the lights of our colors had before. I watched as it bounced off the walls in its travels before slamming into the glass chamber that was in the front of the room, not breaking the glass. It hovered in there for a moment before disappearing, with it the shaking.

"Alpha 5, can you read me?" A deep man's voice said from the tube as it began to glow. Alpha climbed to his feet, meekly looking up at the tube. "Alpha 5, can you read me?"

"Z-Z-Z-Zordon?" Alpha asked in a hushed voice.

"Alpha! Channel in on my location. I'm losing my connection!" The voice called. Alpha leapt towards the control panel, furiously pressing buttons. I rose to my feet, watching as the light in the chamber started to form the shape of a humanoid head. I could make out facial features such as a pair of eyes and a nose.

"Almost there! Come on, Zordon!" Alpha called, banging his fist on the panel. The image cleared quickly, the father like figure that we once looked up to peered down at the original group of Rangers that were clambering to their feet.

"Thank you, Alpha. Rangers!" Zordon said, the intergalactic being smiling down at us. "It's so good to see you."

"Zordon? Is that really you?" Tommy asked, stepping in front of us. Zordon nodded.

"Yes, Tommy. It is indeed. I know you all must be confused as to why you are here. I will explain everything to you. Alpha, please restore the viewing globe while I speak with the Rangers. I will need it."

"Yes, Zordon." Alpha replied, turning back to the controls.

"Rangers, it's been a long time since I've seen you all together. I understand that the last time I saw most of you, you were putting this life in the past. Something has happened though that has made me need to call you back into action."

"Back in action? Zordon, none of us are Rangers anymore. Trini, Jason, Kim and I all traded our coins off to other people." Zack said, crossing his arms in front of him.

"That is true, Zack. When all of you were asked to join the Rangers, you were given Power Coins and told that they would bring you great powers that you used to defend the Earth. This was not true though. The coins did contain power but it was the power that you were born with inside of your being. The Power Coins only made it that much easier for you to control. When you handed your Power Coins to other people, the coins just brought out their powers. Our futures are planned for us before we are born. The morphing grid is able to find those who possess the power needed to be a Ranger and bring them forth when their time has come. This is why Rita was able to find you, Tommy. When she needed her Green Ranger, she invested in the power of the morphing grid to bring forward the person that would be able to handle it. You were all destined to be Power Rangers because that is what the fates allowed for. Even after passing your powers, you still possess the powers you were born with."

"You mean, we had the power in ourselves all this time?" Jase asked, glancing up at Zordon.

"Yes, Jason. It was locked away when you passed on your coins to the next candidate. Only when they are tapped into with a receptacle are they useable."

"Like the power coins." Billy responded.

"Correct, Billy. With the Power Coins, they harness the power and directed them into your morphers and the power grid."

"Zordon, I don't mean to be rude or anything but aren't you supposed to be dead?" Tommy asked. "We all heard how the Space Rangers were forced to release your energy in order to defeat Zedd, Rita and Divatox."

"When Andros punctures my protective column, it did release my energy and my life force. This did not end my life however. I've spent the last decade travelling through space, watching over Earth and the teams of Rangers that followed after I left. Tommy, I was able to observe your time as a lead of the Dino Thunder Rangers. You did an excellent job leading that team to greatness. This is why I made sure to call you as well as the original five rangers as I made my way back to Earth."

"What's happened?" I asked, wringing my hands in front of me.

"A new enemy has made their way to Earth. They've hidden themselves somewhere in Angel Grove, waiting for the perfect time to attack. That time has come now that Angel Grove is prepping for the reunion. Alpha, do you have the viewing globe ready?"

"Yes, Zordon." We all shifted to look at the glowing sphere at the end of the room. Inside, the image of a person appeared in a fuzzy way. It began to clear though and I let out a gasp when I saw who it was.

"That's the bartender from the hotel." I said, looking up at Tommy. He nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"It is. Who is she Zordon?"

"Her name is Rosita, the Great. She is the daughter of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd." He replied. I made a face.

"Does that mean that the two of them actually had sex?" I muttered under my breath. Trini grimaced in disgust, shaking her head.

"I hope not. Gross."

"Rosita was born from a transfer of power performed by Rita and Zedd before their deaths. Divatox was given the job to guard and raise Rosita to be evil until the time came for her to bring havoc down to Earth. When Divatox was purified, Rosita was shipped to another planet where she continued to learn from those who had served under Zedd prior to his arrival on the moon. She came to Earth a few years ago and has hidden herself among those here in the city. The hotel is the basis of her operations, giving homage to her late parents." The image of Rosita turned from her to the hotel exterior.

"Explains the color scheme." Jason said, scratching the top of his head. "So, what? Do we go and take out the hotel?"

"There's civilians inside." I responded, frowning. "We would need to clear them out before attacking."

"Affirmative. An attack on a building that size will also require some careful planning." Billy stared at the viewing globe for a long moment. "I'm not sure if we have that type of power without the use of Zords."

"Billy is correct. A plan will be needed to care out this type of attack. Also, we will need to develop an item to charter your powers through so that you will have the ability to morph again. The original power coins were destroyed. Something new will be needed to help you transform." Zordon turned his attention to Tommy. "Tommy, do you believe that the power of the dino gems has been successfully drained from them?"

"Well, yeah. They lost their powers after our final battle. The kids even still try to morph but it doesn't work. There's only five of those colors though."

"There are two remaining dino gems that are in hiding. Alpha, try to locate their position now. Tommy, once Alpha tracks them down, you will need to find them and bring them back here to the Command Center. Then, we can transform them into Power Gems."

"Two? We only need a pink one though, Zordon." I said, giving Tommy a confused look. "Black for Zack, red for Jason, blue for Billy, yellow for Trini and white for Tommy. I'm the only one who needs one."

"Unfortunately, the white dino gem will not work with Tommy. He will need a the green dino gem. His powers originated with the green power. It's is the one he is destined to carry. Tommy was only able to use the white mantel because it used the remaining amount of power from the green power coin. He was allowed to tap into it because of its link to the green power."

"Zordon, it's going to take time to track down the dino gems. The computer has been down for so long. It will need to be reprogrammed so that I will be able to use it properly." Alpha said, Billy trying to assist him.

"Alright, Alpha. Rangers, please take your communicators from the equipment room and head back to Angel Grove. Once Alpha locates the gem, we will contact you."

"What is Rosita attacks before that?" Trini asked.

"We will need to find another way to reach your powers then. I believe she is waiting for the perfect moment before attacking. The earthquake that my presence has caused will more than likely cause her to wait to be sure no one has discovered her identity."


	10. Chapter 10

The six of us all crammed into Jason and Trini's house. Very few words had been spoken since our departure from the Command Center. We each donned our old communicators, the silver wristlets feeling a lot heavier than I remembered. Billy and Zack sat on the couch, both looking exhausted from their travels here. Tommy was perched on the arm of the recliner next to me. Trini was tucked into the corner of the sectional on the floor, deep in thought as she stared out into space. Jason stood in front of us all, pacing now and then. Finally, he sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "How could Zordon tell us all of this information and then just send us on our merry way as if nothing was happening?" He asked, looking at us.

"What did you want him to do? We can't use our powers until the gems are here and transferred to us. It's not like we can run over there and attack her now." Trini said, glancing up at her husband.

"Trini's right, man. We need to wait until Zordon figures everything out. He's never let us down before. We gotta have faith." Zack said. Jase nodded, rubbing his temple with his forefingers.

"So now what?"

"We need to stick with our routines. If we don't, people are going to start thinking something is going on. We don't know who we can trust right now." Trini replied, standing.

"What does that mean?"

"It means we all need to go to the reunion tonight like nothing is trying to destroy the world." I said, looking at all my friends.

"Kimmy, I think we have more important things to do right now than hang out with a bunch of idiots we went to school with." Jase said. Billy shook his head.

"Kimberly is correct. If we attend the reunion, it will seem we are only in town for that occasion. It'll draw attention away from us and anyone who might have knowledge of our prior association as Power Rangers." Sighing, Billy climbed to his feet. "I need to head over to my father's house to see if I can build a device to contact Aquitar. I was taken so suddenly I didn't have a chance to tell my wife I was leaving. She'll be worried."

"I can give you a ride, Billy." Tommy said, standing. "Kim and I need to head back to the hotel anyway to get ready." He paused, turning towards me. "Is that okay with you?" I nodded.

"Yes."

"The hotel where that woman is?" Zack asked. Tommy nodded. "I don't know, man. Maybe you two shouldn't be there. You never know."

"It's better to have eyes in the inside." Tommy replied. "We both already met Rosita. If we can try to figure out more about the hotel and her, we might be able to come up with a plan to stop her. Make sure everyone keeps their communicators on. We will meet at the juice bar at 6, alright?" Tommy asked. The group collectively nodded.

Billy, Tommy and I climbed into his jeep. Zack had decided to stay with Jason and Trini, thinking it was a better idea than staying in the next town over with everything that was going on. Tommy dropped Billy off at his father's house before heading towards the hotel. Nerves began to flutter in my stomach at the thought of being back there now that I knew what was going on. The debris from the earthquake had been cleaned out of the streets and most of the buildings had been deemed safe to return to. The same must have been said for the hotel because people were walking in and out of it as Tommy pulled into the parking lot. He killed the engine of the jeep and face me in his seat.

"When we go in there, I think it might be a good idea that we act normal. Rosita already knows that we know each other. I don't believe she knows who we are though." He said. I nodded, wiping the sweat from my palms on my jeans.

"Okay. I'll head to my room and get ready. I can meet you in the lobby at 5:30."

"Sounds like a plan." Climbing from the jeep, we headed inside the hotel. It appeared as though nothing had happened. The mess had been cleaned up and the broken pieces of the building had been repairs already. People mingled here and there in the lobby, the nightly reception moved here due to the damage done by the quake. I glanced over at Tommy as he called the elevator. He flashed me a smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Can I guess what color you're wearing?" I shot him a glare, a smirk coming to my lips.

"Shut up, Oliver." I muttered, shaking my head. The doors of the elevator opened and we climbed in. I pressed my floor number and he pressed his. The buttons lit up as the doors closed. "So, Kat didn't want to come back for the reunion?" I asked. He shook his head.

"From what Rocky tells me, she felt like she had done enough time here in Angel Grove. Her work in London probably has her going too much for her to come." He replied. Silence fell over us, reminding me of everything that had happened before this morning. The elevator stopped, dinging as the doors opened to my floor.

"Well, this is me. I'll see you in a little bit." I said, stepping off. Turning, I looked back at him.

"It's a date." He winked at me as the doors shut. A faint blush filled my cheeks as I made my way to my room. Unlocking the door, I stepped inside. To my surprise, my cell phone was resting on the pillow of the bed. Taking a fighting stance, I looked around the room for any sign of an intruder. I know I had left it on the table in the dining area. The ceiling had crashed right on top of it. The screen was unharmed though as I picked it up. I saw that I had a dozen missed calls from Trini and Jason, probably when they were trying to get ahold of me when the earthquake happened. Shrugging, I tossed it back on the bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready.

After a quick shower, I dried and curled my hair slightly around my head. Pinning the brown locks towards the top of my head, I smiled at my reflection. It was weird seeing the communicator there. It had been ten years since I had one around my wrist. It felt natural, like it was meant to be there. Still wrapped in the white towel, I walked over to the closet in the room and grabbed the dress bag I had hung up there from my arrival. Unzipping it, I chuckled at the comment Tommy had made when I was getting off the elevator. The pink lace dress looked as if the tulle skirt trying to escape the bag. I slid it out by the hanger, pulling it over my head carefully. The top of the dress was heart shaped, the built-in bra supporting me as I zipped up the back of the dress. It was a delicate pink lace, the fabric following down over the skirt, layers of tulle making it poof out slightly. It was a dress I had bought last year for the high school prom I was chaperoning. I had briefly worked at a high school for troubled students and I volunteered to watch over them for the night. It had been fun but made me think of that fact I had missed my own prom. Shrugging off the thought, I returned to the bathroom and applied a light layer of makeup on my face. Sliding my feet into pink ballet flats, I gave myself a quick look over. My nerves were beginning to jump under my skin. Was I nervous? Why? I mean, I knew there was danger around but this was a different kind of nervous. Very similar to the first time I had spoken to Tommy. Was that why I was nervous?

Grabbing my smaller black purse, I tucked my phone and keycard into the pocket before leaving the room. It was nearing 5:30 and I had promised to meet Tommy in the lobby then. Taking deep breaths, I did my best to try and calm my nerves. I was 28 years old. There was no reason for me to feel like a school girl on the way to her first dance. Climbing into the elevator, I was able to relax myself and bring my heart rate down. It was just a night out with my friends. There was no need for me to feel like I was about to face a firing squad. The doors opened again on the lobby and I slowly made my way out. Glancing around the lobby, I saw that people were still sitting around the free food and booze at the make shift bar they had set up. I turned my attention from there towards the front door of the lobby.

Standing by the glass windows was Tommy. He was leaning against the wall next to it, staring off into space as he thought. He was dressed in a dark green fitted oxford dress shirt. Black slacks traveled from his waist down to his feet where a new pair of black dress shoes were laced. His hair had been combed to the side and the smell of his aftershave filled the air as I approached. My heart rate climbed again as I looked at the most handsome man I had ever seen. "Tommy?" I said, trying my best to not let my voice crack. He turned to face me, my voice breaking through his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry." His face shifted from acknowledgement to slight surprise when he saw me. I felt his eyes travel from my legs up, taking in my attire and my face. "Kim, you look beautiful." He said softly, giving me a smile.

"Thank you. I have to say that you clean up well yourself." I replied, winking at him. Glancing at the time, I headed towards the door. "We should get going if we're going to meet the others on time."

"Right." Standing up straight, he jumped forward to open the door for me. I led the way towards his jeep, the only noise coming from the traffic behind the hotel. Jogging ahead, Tommy opened the door for me. Giving him another smile, I slid into the seat and allowed him to shut the door once I was inside. He climbed into his seat next, starting the engine. "I can play music if you'd like. Not quite sure what CD is in but there's always the radio." He said, pulling into traffic. He headed for the highway that led to the heart of town where the juice bar was.

"Alright." Extending my hand, I pressed the play button on his stereo. The heavy beat of a drum began to fill the jeep and the notes for a rock song followed. "Kansas?" I asked. He nodded, shrugging his shoulder. I hit next, the starting melody of a Def Leopard song coming on.

"Gotta love the classics. Pretty sure it's a mixed CD that Connor and Ethan made me last year." He replied. "Connor thought it would help me with the ladies." I let out a laugh, shaking my head.

"Well, I sure hope he is smoother than he sounds because this is terrible."

"I believe he thought it was music that came out when I was their age since they think I'm a fossil sometimes." He sighed. "Of course, sometimes I feel like one too."

"You're only 29, Tommy. You have so much life left to live. Believe me. You are not old." Pressing next, the voices of the Red Hot Chili Peppers came from the speakers. "Okay. They did manage to pick one good song." We sat in silence, listening to the band sing as he drove towards the youth center. I could see Trini's mini van parked in the parking lot as Tommy pulled in. I motioned for him to park near it. Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy stood next to it talking. The boys were all dressed mostly alike, each where their prospective colors. Billy's shirt was a bit big for him, suggesting he was either wearing one of Jason's shirts or one his father had in his closet. Zack was in all black and Jason's red shirt was dark but bright at the same time. Next to them, Trini was dressed in a yellow cotton sun dress with white flowers printed on it. This wasn't the dress she was planning on wearing. She had raved about the black dress she had bought for the occasion, excited about showing it off to Jason. With everything that happened this afternoon, I understood why she changed her mind to show her colors. Tommy and I climbed out of the jeep and walked over to join them.

"Kim, you look great." Zack said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. Billy gave me a quick hug before Jason pulled me in for a tight squeeze. Trini wrapped her arm around my shoulders and smiled.

"I think we all clean up quite nicely if you ask me." She said.

"Hey, I always look this sharp." Zack said, doing a small dance move. "C'mon. This reunion isn't going to start until we get in there." Turning on his heel, he led the way inside the youth center. I smiled as I looked up at the metal letters over the door. It had been what felt like forever since I had been in the youth center. When I had left for Florida, I had imagined I would be back to at least graduate. With my accident though, I decided to give home schooling a try. My aunt helped me graduate with honors and I quickly transitioned from that to a community college down there. I was never able to experience a graduation, prom or the other things I always imagined I would go to while I was here. All because I let rumors and my own self-esteem ruin everything I had going for me.

The hallways of the youth center were decorated with streamers, balloons and signs in the school colors. Not much had changed since the last time I was here. The floors were the same turquoise color and the walls were a peach nightmare that made my eyes hurt still. Music was coming from the juice bar where a line of people was formed to get in. Two women were seated at a table by the door, taking names and giving out name tags as people passed. The woman on the left was Angela, Zack's ex-girlfriend. He stopped walking when he saw her, sweat forming on his brow. "Shit."

"What's up, bro?" Jase asked. "Didn't you think she would be here?"

"Well, yeah. I just thought I'd be able to work up the courage to talk to her first, ya know?" He gulped nervously. Reaching out, I put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Zack, you'll be fine. Just talk to her." I said, giving him a little wink. Nodding, he walked over to the table. Angela looked up as he approached, a large smile crossing her face when she saw him.

"Hi, Zack. How are you?" She asked, standing. She walked around the table to give him a hug. While he hugged her, he gave us a thumb up behind her back.

"I'm fine. You look fantastic. How are you?" He asked, releasing her from the hug.

"Great. Give me a second and I'll get you and your friends name tags." She walked back over to the table and searched through a pile of tag. Grabbing some of them, she walked back over. "Here." She handed one to each of us, our names scribbled neatly on them. "I know we don't really need them but that's what the rest of the committee wants. It's mostly for the spouses I think. Who knows." Pealing the name tag from the adhesive covering, we all slapped them on our chest. She took the garbage from us, tossing it in the can next to the table. "Well, go on in! There's a DJ right now and an open bar. Dinner will be in about an hour and then the live band will be playing."

"Sounds fun." Zack said, smiling at her.

"Pretty sure you still owe me a dance, Zack." Angela replied, winking at him. He grinned, looking at his feet sheepishly.

"Well, I'll be sure to make that up to you tonight then."

"How does he do that?" Trini whispered in my ear. We giggled, hiding it behind our hands as our group walked into the juice bar. It didn't look like the juice bar. The lights were dimmed and pools of different colored lights shone from lighting fixtures that had been set up around the room. A DJ was set up in the far corner of the juice bar where Tommy and Jason used to practice martial arts. Speakers were compiled together with a laptop between them. People danced on the make shift dance floor that had been constructed in front of the DJ. Tables and chairs had been set up around the room, people sitting at them while others mingled. The bar was set up to be an alcoholic bar, a bartender behind it. I smiled when I saw the picture of Ernie on the wall behind it. Ernie had been the original owner of the youth center. He was such a nice man who at one time or another helped us out with our problems that seemed trivial now. Sadly, he passed away a few years after I left from a heart attack. Trini told me about it when she had returned home to visit her parents. Our group walked over to a free table and set our stuff down to reserve it. I tucked my purse in a chair out of sight before looking at everyone.

"Drinks?" I asked. Each of them nodded before heading towards the bar. Jason wrapped an arm around Trini's waist who looked up at him with a small grin and a wink. I smiled to myself at their affection. Zack made it to the bar first, slapping a fifty on the top of it. The bartender, a kid who looked like he wasn't even old enough to drink, took it and looked at Zack.

"What'll it be?" He asked.

"I'll take a gin and tonic. What about you ladies?" Zack asked, smiling at Trini and me.

"Whiskey sour, please." I replied. Trini nodded.

"That sounds good!" She responded. The bartender nodded, grabbing three glasses before scooping ice in them.

"Beer is good." Jason said, reaching into the inside of his jacket. He pulled out his wallet and fished out a fifty. "Add this to our tab as well." He set it on the bar where Zack's had been.

"Sure thing! What about you guys?" The kid asked, looking over at Tommy and Billy as he poured the mixed drinks.

"Water, please." Billy answered. Jason shot Billy a confused glance, shaking his head.

"Come on, Billy. Live a little!"

"I'm perfectly alright with just water." He replied though his cheeks tinged pink. Trini slapped Jason on the arm, giving him a scolding expression. He rubbed the back of his head, glancing at his feet in an ashamed manner.

"It's alright, Billy." Tommy said, patting him on the shoulder. "Water sounds good for me as well."

"Coming right up! I can have a waitress bring them to your table if you'd like." The bartender said.

"Great! C'mon, guys and gals." Zack said, heading back to the table. The youth center was beginning to fill up with more people as we sat down. Jason sat in between Trini and Zack, Billy on the right side of Trini. I took a seat next to Zack where I had set my purse. Tommy slid into the remaining chair between Billy and me. His knee brushed mine under the table as he pulled his chair in. He mumbled an apology to me that I waved off.

"So, besides the events of this afternoon, how has everyone been?" Billy asked, smiling politely at everyone around the table.

"We can go around the table. Might be easier." I suggested. Everyone nodded, honing their eyes on me. "Hey! I didn't say I was going to go first." I exclaimed, slumping back in my chair.

"Fine. I'll go." Zack said, leaning forward. "Well, ever since I left Angel Grove after the conferences, I've been living in New York. I went to NYU for music and dance. I graduated from there about a year ago. In the meantime, I've been working off Broadway in some shows and trying my best to make a name for myself. I guess it's finally paid off. I just landed a gig as one of the supporting characters in The Lion King. We start rehearsal once the summer is over and we go live in January."

"Zack, that's amazing!" Trini said, clasping his hand. "All the hard work and practicing finally came through. I told you that you could do it."

"Thanks. I'd love it if you'd all come to opening night. I'm going to reserve a whole row for whoever can make it."

"Well, I know we'll be there." Trini said, smiling. "I guess I'll go next. Though, I'm not sure if I'm anywhere close to topping that. As you all know, I married this idiot a few years ago. We have a bouncy eight-month-old baby now and things are going great. I'm currently working on getting my Master's degree in children's psychology. I tried the whole engineering field but I just found that working with kids is what I was meant to do. I graduate from my on-line program in the fall. After that, I move on to my PhD so that I can open my own practice."

"So, we'll have two doctors on our hands." I replied, winking at her and Tommy.

"I suppose we will." She replied. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. "That's it for me!" No one else seemed to notice her hesitation but me. I gave her a confused look but she shook her head at me.

"Like my gorgeous wife said, we got married and have my boy, JC. He's going to be such a kick ass martial artist. You guys should see him go now and he's not even one! While Trini is busy being a beauty and smart, I'm running my own dojo while also helping out here at the youth center. I figured it's the least I can do since Ernie did so much to help us."

"That's great, man." Tommy said, smiling at Jason. "He'd be proud."

"I sure hope so. That guy was like a father to us. Almost as much as Zordon was. Well, I guess still is." Jason turned to Billy with an expectant glance. "You're up, Billy."

"On Aquitar, I've been researching and building scientific labs to expand on the creation of pharmaceutical practices. They are much more advanced technological wise that they have cures for illnesses that we could never even imagine of. I oversee the operation of several labs and the manufacturing of medicines for the entire planet. It's quite the position." Billy replied, fixing his glasses. We each sort of stared at him while we tried to decipher what he had just said. Finally, Jason looked over at Trini for an interpretation.

"He's basically a pharmacist and a scientist. Right, Billy?" Trini asked. Billy nodded, smiling at her.

"You could say that." A younger girl who appeared to be around our age approached our table, a tray of drinks in hand. Her long blonde hair was braided behind her back and she was dressed in a tight fitting white blouse and black slacks. She flashed a smile at us all as she set the drinks down.

"Thank you." Zack said, handing her a five-dollar tip. She grinned at him, shooting a wink before heading back to the bar. His eyes lingered behind her, ignoring the rest of us. I shook my head, grabbing my whiskey sour from the group of beverages. There were mistakenly three beers on the table instead of the waters Billy and Tommy had asked for. Sighing, Billy grabbed one of the bottle and took a small sip from it.

"Kim?" Zack asked, turning his drooling head back to us. "How have you been?"

"Oh! Let's see. After I was finished with the gymnastics program, I headed off to college for music. I earned my degree to teach and I'm currently working as a temporary music teacher for a school in Florida." I replied, sipping my drink. It was nice and cold, the cool liquid feeling wonderful on the back of my throat.

"What happened to the whole Olympics thing? Jason, Trini and I watched the whole thing but never saw you on it." Zack asked. I forgot he was the only one who hadn't been blessed with the news of my accident. Setting my glass on the table, I felt the tension around the table as they all glanced at one another.

"I had an accident. I fell down some stairs and shattered parts of my back. I'm fine now but the doctors told me I shouldn't do anything like gymnastics again. That's all." I replied, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"Oh, Kimmy. I'm so sorry. Glad you still have your music. Girl, you can sing for me any time." Zack shot me a wink as he reached over and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Zack." I replied, turning my attention to Tommy. "Dr. Oliver?" I teased. He laughed, taking a long sip from the beer in front of him.

"As you all have mocked, I went to school and earned a PhD in paleontology. After graduating, I worked for a lab for Anton Mercer, researching the dino gems. Things kind of went a little wonky though and I ended up in Reefside looking for the gems. In the meantime, I became a high school science teacher. A couple of the kids in my class found the dino gems and became the Dini Thunder Power Rangers. I became their mentor and actually ended up being a ranger again myself. Once the big bad guy was defeated, I decided to stay and work as a teacher. I also run the Paleontology Club at the school as well."

"God, you're a nerd!" Jason said, everyone including Tommy chuckling.

"Yeah, yeah. I am. I still work on my karate though and teach a class at the dojo at Reefside. Nothing much. Just something to keep me busy."

"What occurred with your relationship with Kat?" Billy asked. Like before, the entire table seized with tension. Confused, Billy looked around. "Did I say something in mistake?"

"It's fine." Tommy said, shaking his head. "We broke up on good terms. We both just knew that we weren't the ones we wanted to be with. That's all. She's doing good in London. She's engaged to a great guy and they are getting married at the end of the summer."

"Excellent news!" Billy replied. He shot a glance over at me, equipped with a small smile. I shook my head at him. Billy was a lot wiser to social interactions than he lets people on to. He was only asking Tommy that for my sake. I made a mental note to kick him in the shin later.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reading, reviewing and favoriting this story! This is my first attempt at PR fan-fiction after reading it for so long. I honestly didn't think that many people would think it was good.**

 **Just a warning that I'm only knowledgeable about the MMPR series and Dino Thunder. I'm a Tommy girl and only tend to follow his story lines. I thought the way him and Kim were handled was down right terrible so this is my solution to it! So please forgive me if there are any inaccuracies in this regarding their powers, the story line or anything like that. I'm still learning!**

 **Also, I don't own the Power Rangers or any of the music Tommy tends to listen to in his Jeep. If I did, I wouldn't be writing PR FF...or would I? ;)**

We spent the next hour talking and catching up before dinner was served. It was a buffet style Italian feast; spaghetti, ziti, meatballs, soup, salad and enough breadsticks to feed an army. As we ate, Zack explained to us his role in the musical and what other plays he had been doing to pay his way through school. I didn't really listen though as he talked to the table. My mind wandered back to this afternoon. The sheer fact that Zordon was alive and Alpha was here made me want to sob happy tears. The thought that another evil being was here to destroy Earth, on the other hand, made me want to scream out in frustration. I thought we were passed this. Once news of Rita and Zedd's purifications had spread, I thought for sure that Angel Grove would be safe from any other attacks. I was wrong though. Who would have imagined that the two of them had a hidden love child nestled away, waiting for the right moment to attack? It made me sick to think about the destruction that could be in our near future and the lives that were at stake.

"Hey." Tommy's voice said softly, bringing me out of my dark thoughts. Looking up, I saw he was the only person at the table with me. Glancing over, I noticed that everyone else was on the dance floor, swaying back and forth to a slow song. Jason and Trini were wrapped around one another, talking in low voices as they danced. Zack was flawlessly moving Angela around who was beaming with excitement. Billy was not on the dance floor. He was at the bar, ordering more drinks for the table. "You okay?" Tommy asked. I nodded, finishing my drink.

"Yeah. Just thinking. That's all."

"Okay. Do you want to dance?" He asked, standing. He held out his hand, giving me a small smile.

"You sure?" I questioned. He looked at me confused. "I don't want to give people the wrong idea." I slipped my hand into his and he pulled me to my feet.

"What? That two friends are slow dancing at their reunion?" He replied, leading me to the rest of the group. He wrapped his arms around my waist while I rested my hands on his shoulders.

"I think it's safe to say that we aren't just friends, Tommy. Not with our history." I said softly.

"History is just history. It's not like our breakup ended modern day society as we know it. Besides, that was over ten years ago. I'm sure no one cares about whether we ended up together or not."

"I do." I whispered, turning my face away from him. He stopped swaying and pulled one of his arms away from me to grip my chin. Gently, he made me look up at him.

"Kim, I'm not mad at you for what happened. You shouldn't be either. Hating yourself isn't going to change a thing."

"Ain't that the truth." I muttered. Sighing, I slowly locked eyes with him. "I thought we were going to be together forever, Tommy. I thought we'd get married and be that happy ending people always wish they had. Instead, I blew that up. Hell, I ran it over with a truck and then put it in reverse to make sure the job was done."

"I didn't help matters much either. I could have gone after you. I could have tried to change your mind. Then, I would have realized what had happened and maybe things would have been the way you dreamt they would be." We started to sway again.

"I think about what would have happened if I hadn't written that letter. When I was seventeen, I thought for sure I was doing the right thing. Once I grew older, it kinda hit me that I had done something incredibly stupid."

"Well, what do you think would have happened?" He asked, smirking down at me. I shrugged, moving my hands so they were resting around the back of his neck.

"I don't know." I lied, trying to hide the smile that was trying to poke through. He raised an eyebrow at me before shaking his head.

"Uh huh. I don't believe that one for a second. C'mon, beautiful. You know you can tell me anything."

"I haven't heard that name in forever." I replied, smiling up at him. "Fine. If I hadn't broken up with, I feel like we both would have ended up living in Angel Grove. You would probably own your own dojo or karate school. I'd still be a music teacher I think. Not many options out there for me besides that. But, we'd be married and maybe working on building a family. I know it's a crazy thought but-."

"What's so crazy about that? It's the exact dream I had for us when we were kids." He said, cutting me off. "Sounds like the perfect life to me."

"Yeah?" I asked. He nodded, stopping our bodies from moving.

"Kim, I-." Tommy began but he was interrupted by applause as the song ended. Jason walked over to us, Trini in hand and pointed at the table.

"Billy bought some more drinks." He said over the music as a faster pace song started. Wrapping an arm around me, Trini pulled me towards the table. I glanced over my shoulder at Tommy who gave me a lingering look before turning to talk to Jason.

"Hey guys!" A familiar woman's voice said as we neared the table. The always beautiful Aisha Campbell was perched in Zack's chair, her brilliant smile lighting up when she saw Trini and me. I let out a squeal of excitement as she jumped up to hug me. She looked just like a picture out of the yearbook. Her long brown hair was sectioned off into little braids on the back of her head. She was dressed in a yellow dress that flowed effortlessly to her knees. As we hugged, I noticed her long-time boyfriend Rocky Santos greeting Billy, Jason and Tommy. The second in line former Red Ranger hadn't changed much either. He was still tall and built, years of martial arts training aiding in this. He wore a white blazer with red undershirt, white slacks completing his outfit. He hugged me as Aisha let go, placing a small peck on the top of my head. Billy set a tray of drinks on the table, everyone taking their respective one. I took a sip of my fresh whiskey sour and smiled at Rocky.

"Hey Kimberly." He said, stepping back and looking at me in an amused manner.

"It's great to see you guys!" I replied, smiling at the both of them. Rocky wrapped his arm around Aisha's shoulders, pulling her close to his side.

"We've missed you all so much. Adam sends his love by the way. He was trying to get time off to fly here but his recording schedule has him booked pretty solid." Aisha said, linking her fingers with Rocky's hand that hung loosely over her shoulder. "How are things going?"

"Well, there's some stuff that's happened that we should all discuss. It can wait though." Jason said, eyeing Tommy who nodded. "Let's enjoy the night and then we can talk business."

"Great." Rocky muttered, rolling his eyes. "Why can't we get together without the threat of world domination being in the picture?"

"Cause where would be the fun in that?" Zack winked at the two of them before stalking back to Angela who was waiting for him at the bar. The two of them smiled at each other like teenagers in love before heading back to the dance floor. Aisha pulled Rocky by the arm after Zack, ignoring his pleas of resistance as she began to move to the beat of the music. Trini, Billy, Jason, Tommy and I laughed as we watched Rocky try his best to match Aisha's moves. He blushed a similar color to his branded spandex he used to wear when he saw us all watching him.

"C'mon, Billy. It's time to show these people how it's done." Trini said, grabbing Billy's elbow. She looked over her shoulder at Jason. "Can you call and check on JC and your parents?" Jason nodded as Trini and Billy walked over to join the rest of the group. Jason shook his head and mumbled under his breath before heading out the main door of the youth center, leaving Tommy and I standing next to the table.

"Want to go outside and get some air?" Tommy asked over the music as I finished the drink Billy had given me. I nodded, setting my empty glass on the table. Setting his hand on my lower back, he escorted me out the side door. The music stopped as the heavy metal fire door shut behind us. The cool night air felt amazing on my skin as I realized how hot it was in there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the playground on the left side of the building. Walking over, I sat in one of the swings and Tommy leaned against the metal support beam next to it.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, kicking off my shoes. Leaning back, I allowed myself to swing forward with a slow momentum. He nodded, crossing his feet at the ankle.

"I am. What about you?"

"For the most part. I enjoy seeing everyone again but the thought of what's going to happen is still in the back of my mind. I hate thinking that everyone's lives are in danger while we are here at a party."

"There's not much we can do until Alpha locates our dino gems. I know how you feel. I wish we could just waltz into the hotel tonight and squash out the problem. We have to wait until Zordon is ready though." I sighed, nodding. I knew he was right. Zordon knew what was best and going in unarmed against Rosita and whatever army she had backing her wasn't the best plan.

"I almost forgot what this felt like." I said softly, glancing at my feet.

"What?"

"Waiting for a battle. It was something I always hated when we were Rangers."

"I know. At least this time, we will have more skills on our side than we did when we were kids. We won't be so quick to jump into action and we will be able to analyze a situation more carefully before attacking. It's something I picked up on when I was on the dino team. The kids were always ready to jump head first into battle without seeing the big picture first."

"Oh well if that doesn't sound like seventeen-year-old you, I'm not sure what else does." I teased, winking at him. He smirked, looking up at the sky. Stars twinkled down at us in the ink black canvas above our heads.

"Well, not every choice I made was like that when I was a teenager."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I asked, jumping off the swing.

"Took me forever to admit my feelings for you. Hell, I lost my powers before I even had the nerve to tell you. Thought for sure my heart was going to explode when I kissed you that day at the park."

"You and me both. And if I recall right, I'm the one who admitted my feelings first so it's not like you were alone in that." I replied, crossing my arms in front of me. "I knew I liked you the moment my eyes landed on you at the martial arts competition. The one where you fought Jason. Trini will even tell you. I was supposed to be there supporting Jason but I couldn't help but notice this tall, dark and handsome stranger. And then the next day, you came to my rescue after Bulk and Skull made their daily attempt to flirt with me."

"Oh, Bulk and Skull. I wonder what they are up to these days. Last I heard, they owned a bar together. I remember that day though. It was the day Rita casted her spell on me."

"Yeah. You were supposed to meet me after school but she got in the way. Even before we started dating, Rita and Zedd were causing trouble for us. I guess dating just isn't meant to be when you are fighting intergalactic beings."

"We managed through it though. Even when they would interrupt our dates or cast spells on us that turned us against each other. We still were able to keep our relationship going."

"Until I left." I whispered.

"No. Until we both stopped fighting. Kim, it's not too late. We could still try to make this work." He said, gently grabbing my shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-." He was interrupted by the familiar tones that I hadn't heard in years. The communicators on our wrists sang out, causing us both to sigh in frustrations. Letting me go, Tommy brought his to his mouth. "Come in, Alpha." He muttered.

"Tommy! I was able to get a location on the dino gems. I need you to come to the Command Center at once. I can teleport you and Kimberly now." Alpha's robotic voice said from the device on our wrists.

"What about the rest of the group?" I asked.

"They will be informed as well." Alpha replied. Shrugging his shoulders, Tommy told Alpha to teleport us. A white light began to glow around the both of us before we were zapped off the ground. It had been such a long time since I had teleported that I had forgotten about the feeling it gave you. It was like flying at an alarming speed while spinning. As quickly as it started, it suddenly stopped, dropping Tommy and I into the Command Center. He held his arm out to catch me before I could fall face first to the floor.

"Thanks." I said, straightening myself out. He nodded before heading towards Alpha who was standing in front of the control panel near Zordon. I followed behind him, carrying my shoes.

"Tommy, we've found the pink and green dino gems." Zordon said, his voice booming in the room like normal.

"Where?" Tommy asked, gazing up at our leader. The white transparent head peered down at us.

"They are in a place called Purgatory Chasm on the out skirts of Reefside, California. According to the computer, they are deep inside of it. Alpha will not be able to teleport you there due to the morphing grid still being so weak. You and Kimberly must travel there and retrieve the gems. The rest of the Rangers will stay here in case Rosita decides to attack. They will be able to use their gems to access their powers."

"The sooner you retrieve the gems, the sooner I can connect them to the morphing grid." Alpha said, turning to face us. "I can teleport you back to the youth center. From there, you will need to use human transportation to travel. I'm sorry, rangers."

"It's fine, Alpha. I live in Reefside. I know where to go. I just need a print out of the inside of the cave and where the gems are." Tommy replied. He turned to me. "We'll probably be gone for a day or two. We'll need to check out of the hotel tonight. She might think something is going on if we extend our stay." I nodded.

"Right." He turned back to Zordon. "Once I get the dino gems, I can tap them into the morphing grin from my own lab. It'll take no time for us to get back here when I finish with that."

"Excellent. May the power protect the both of you in your journey."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading. Just wanted to let everyone know that this chapter is a little...mature. There is a sex scene and could be considered graphic for anyone who might not like those types of stories. Sorry!**

Forty-five minutes later, Tommy and I met in the lobby of the hotel. My suitcases were in my hands as well as the key card for my room. His beg was draped over his shoulder and he took my bigger suitcase from me. Walking over to the front desk, we checked out. The woman asked why we were leaving before our stay was over. Both of us responded with family emergencies. She took the answer, giving us refunds for the second night before bidding us a farewell. We walked out of the hotel, making sure to get a good glance around before leaving in case anything was out of the ordinary. It wasn't though, the dining area moved back to the second floor.

Tommy shoved our things in the back of his jeep while I climbed into the front seat. Like he had said, Alpha had informed the other rangers of our trip to Reefside. Trini had called me while I was packing up my things. I explained to her that we would be back in a day or two and that they should call us if anything where to happen before we retrieved the dino gems. I wasn't sure what good we would be but the thought of them fighting without us turned my stomach. Tommy hopped into his seat and took off out of the parking lot, not bothering to stop for the stop sign.

We drove none stop for four hours, heading to Reefside, California. The welcoming sign appeared in the glow of his headlights, PROTECTED BY THE POWER RANGERS etched into the top of the sign. He smirked, shaking his head when I glanced over at him. "They give Angel Grove a run for their money when it comes to using Rangers as a marketing ploy." He said, shrugging his shoulders. I watched out the window as he drove through the small town, pulling off onto a dirt road. An old wooden sign that read Purgatory Chasm was posted at the end of it. It was pitch black, the only source of light coming from the headlights. He pulled to a stop in front of a set of stone steps that led down. Together, we climbed out of the jeep, leaving it running to provide us with some light. Stepping over, I looked down at where the cave was supposed to be. Complete darkness consumed the area.

"Tommy, there's no way we are going to be able to find anything in there tonight." I said, glancing at him. Cursing under his breath, he nodded.

"I know. We'll have to come back in the morning. I just hope that Rosita isn't on to us yet. C'mon. We'll head back to my house. You don't mind staying there tonight, do you? There's a motel in town if you prefer that."

"It's fine." I replied as we headed back to the jeep. He pulled back out of the woods and took a right on the main drag. Driving for a few miles, he pulled down a long street that turned into a dirt road after a while. A modest sized grey house appeared at the end, white trim seeming to shine in the headlights. There was a small porch on the front of it and a wooden shed on the side. He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.

"I'll grab your things." He said before sliding out of the seat. He popped open the back of the jeep while I stood from the vehicle. I took my smaller bag and my purse from him before he could object. Closing his hatch, he led the way up his front steps. One beam of light lit up the walk way from the ceiling of his porch. Fishing his keys from his pants, he unlocked the white front door and swung it open.

"Welcome to my lovely abode. Sorry for the mess. I didn't think I would be having company." He explained over his shoulder as we stepped inside. He flicked on a light, revealing the living room of his house. It was a good size, hard wood floors filling up the room. It was definitely a guy's place, leather furniture set up around the room with a big screen television in front of it. He set our bags down on the floor next to a long leather couch and glanced at me. "Would you like a tour?" He asked.

"Sure." I replied, setting my things down next to the rest of it.

"Umm…okay. Well, this is the living room." He pointed at the doorway to the left. "That's the kitchen. Or so I was told when I bought the house. I don't think I've used it since I moved in." He turned to a set of the stairs behind us, heading up them. I stayed behind him, amused by how nervous he was acting. It reminded me of how he would act when we first met, way back when we were all new at this ranger thing.

At the top of the stairs, there was a door on either side of the hallway. "On the right in the bathroom. The left side is my office/gym." He walked over to an open door way at the end of the hall. Glancing in, I saw it was a bedroom. A king size bed was neatly made on a wooden bed frame. There was an end table on either side of the bed and a matching dresser at the end of it. A television was set up on top of it as well as a laptop, papers tossed on top of it. "And this would be my bedroom. You can sleep in here tonight. I can ride the couch."

"Tommy, I couldn't take your room. It's your house. I can sleep on the couch." I replied, heading towards the stairs. He followed behind me, mumbling under his breath.

"No. You can have my room. I insist."

"Well, I also insist." I said, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and turning to look up at him.

"Good to see you are just as stubborn as I remembered." He said, brushing by me. "One more stop on the tour." He tossed over his shoulder as he headed towards the kitchen. He stopped at a wooden door and unlocked it was a key. Motioning me to follow him, we walked down the stairs into his cellar. The sound of machines beeping came to my ears as I heard him fumble for a light switch in the dark. He hit something and light burst throughout the room. I gasped at what I saw.

The basement was in itself, its own little command center. Computers, monitors, machines and other device were set up around the room. On one side of the room, there was a wing where three motorcycles were parked, each their own color of red, blue and yellow. There was also a medical bay on one side of the room. There was a main consule set up in the middle of the room, a large chair set up in front of the screens that spread across the area in front of it. "Wow. Tommy, this is incredible! You did this all yourself?" I asked, looking around.

"Mostly. I had help from a friend I met in college. She helped me run the team while I had some issues going on." He replied. I stopped by the chair and glanced at the desk in front of it. I was surprised to see a picture of myself there. I was about sixteen in the picture and was on Tommy's back. Both of us were smiling brightly at the camera, not a care in the world. Almost as if Rita and Zedd never existed. The picture was in a small wooden frame next to a group picture of the whole original Ranger team. Reaching out, I picked up the picture of us and ran my finger over the glass.

"I have the same picture at home." I said softly, remembering that day. It had been a date that hadn't been ruined by a monster or the Putty patrol. We had gone out to lunch, went for a nice walk around the lake and ended our night star gazing. It had also been the day that Tommy and I decided to take our relationship to the next level. Being teenagers with attitude didn't exclude us from being normal kids. There were nights of making out when our parents weren't home or those rare times when we didn't have our friends around. We slowly had escalated to more as time went on. About six months before I had no choice but to turn over my power coin, we made the choice to be each other's first. I had always known Tommy was going to be mine. I knew it from that first kiss by the pond. It was everything I had always heard of. I mean, there was no fireworks show afterwards but it was romantic and sweet, laying there with Tommy in his uncle's cabin. It had felt so right to be with him, to be normal people for a night without having to think about Zords, battles and what was going to happen next.

"I think about that day all the time." Tommy said, stepping towards me. "I forgot that was there. Sorry."

"It was a good day. I don't think I can remember another day that was as perfect as that one. No fighting. No annoying beeps calling us to duty. Just the two of us together for a full 24 hours. How did we manage to pull that one off?" I asked, smiling at him. He shrugged, smiling back at me.

"Maybe Zedd and Rita were on our side all along." He joked. Shaking my head, I chuckled as I set the picture down.

"Something like that. Well, I think we should get some sleep. We'll probably be heading out frist thing in the morning." He nodded, tucking his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

"Right. Can't wait to get out of these clothes too." He said, smirking. He stepped aside so I could head back upstairs. I lingered in the living room while he locked the door back up. Turning to face me, he raised an eyebrow. "You're taking the bedroom." He said. I sighed.

"Fine but only because you keep nagging." I grabbed my smaller suitcase and my purse. "I'm going to take a quick shower, if that's okay."

"Yeah. Go right ahead." I gave him a small smile before heading up to the second floor. I set my bags on the bed, grabbing my pajamas before heading to the bathroom. It was a bit on the small size, a bathtub, toilet and sink all crammed into the grey tiled room. The shower curtain was white with green dinosaurs on it. I let out a small chuckle when I saw it, finding it humorous. I turned on the water, allowing the temperature to adjust while I under dressed. Climbing in, I quickly got to work at washing up. I couldn't wash my hair as he only had 2 in 1 body wash with shampoo that was meant for men. Without conditioner, my hair would turn into a freak of nature. I made sure to rinse it well though, working hard to get some of the grime of the day off me. I used his body wash to scrub my skin, taking in the manly smell of him as I did. If I could go back in time and tell me from a week ago that I'd be in Tommy Oliver's shower, I'm pretty sure I would smack myself silly. There was no way I would have seen myself here but atlas, here I was.

Shutting off the water, I wrapped a green towel around myself before stepping out of the tub. I dried off, stepping into a pair of pink pajama pants and a pink camisole. I hung the towel back on the towel rack to dry after cleaning up my mess in the bathroom. Opening the door, I walked towards Tommy's room. My other suitcase was now on the bed. He must have brought it up for me while he changed his clothes. His dress ones were now neatly folded in a pile on top of the hamper in the right corner of the room. I slid both suitcases off the bed, setting them in front of the dresser. Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my brush and combed out the snarls in my hair. I tossed the brush back in my purse and glanced over at the bed. As I stepped towards it, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Turning, I turned the knob and pulled it open. Tommy stood there, his torso now dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of green and white flannel pants on his bottom half.

"Hey." I said, giving him a slightly confused look. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry." He said hoarsely, stepping into the room.

"For what?" I asked, even more confused.

"For doing this." He crossed the space between us and his lips crushed into mine, forming a union between them. My eyes widened in surprise at the kiss, but I quickly recovered, snaking my arms around his neck as he pulled me closer against his body. His tongue traced my bottom lip, an old sign that he wanted to explore my mouth. I allowed him access, our tongues dueling together as he scooped me up in his arms. My legs crossed at the ankles behind his back, securing me to him like a monkey to a tree. His hands wrapped around my back, his fingers tracing the skin under my shirt. They lingered on the scar in the middle of my back where my surgery had been. I felt him moved under me as he walked towards the bed. Gently, he laid us back on the bed and he propped himself on his arms above me. "God, I've missed you." He said in a husky voice as he left my lips to place kisses on my neck. I moved my head to the side, giving him more skin to work with. He pulled away just enough to allow me to pull his t-shirt from his built but slender frame.

"I missed you, too." I whispered, running my fingers down his torso. I felt every toned muscle under his skin. His years of martial arts and being in the field had paid off. He did have scars from battles, but most were faded as my fingers brushed by them. Sitting back on his feet, he pulled me up so I was sitting on his lap. Gripped the edge of my tank top, he slowly pulled it over my head. We locked eyes as he slid his hands up my sides to fondle my breasts in his palms. I shuddered as his thumbs found the buds of each one, flicking slightly. A gasp escaped my lips as he brought his face down to my chest and let his mouth seal around the right nipple. His tongue traced the shape of it, causing my head to lull back in pleasure at the action. He moved to the other one, giving it the same amount of attention. Excitement fueled fire was raging in my belly now, causing my legs to feel like jelly. Releasing my breast, he kissed me gently before laying me back on the bed. He left a trail of kisses from the middle of my breast cavity down to my belly button. Slipping his thumbs into my pants, he slid them and my underwear off, revealing my naked body to him.

My heart raced in my chest, thumping loudly as Tommy stood from the bed and removed his pajama bottoms. His member stood for attention as it was released from the confines of his boxers. Kneeling back on the bed, he placed small kisses on the skin near my belly button before moving farther down my body. His lips fluttered on the skin of my inner thigh as I felt his fingers brush through my curls. A gasp escaped my lips when a finger slid inside of me. Admittedly, it had been quite sometime since a man has touched me. I've been on dates since breaking things off with Tommy and had a few brief relationships. Nothing concrete, just guys who kept my attention for a month or two. It only filled the empty void that I had in my heart. The last time I had sex with a guy was almost two years ago. It had been a one-night stand with a former co-worker. He had been more than happy for the one-time fling. Being lonely was just something I had grown accustomed too and sometimes, it grew to be too much for me to handle.

But I realized now what the empty part of me was missing as Tommy brought me to a climax that made my toes curl and my eyes roll into the back of my head. He made his way up my body, positioning himself between my legs. Casting me a glance to ask for permission, he waited. Trying to catch my breath, I nodded. Shifting, he slid himself into me and released a hiss between his teeth. My body adjusted to allow him to enter, my slit taking his entire length as he slowly moved forward. Once we were both ready, he began to maneuver his hips back and forth. Our skin slapped against each other with every move he made, that long forgotten feeling of a climbing orgasm building in my belly each time he thrusted inside of me again. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to mine to reclaim my mouth and tongue as his. Sweat formed on our bodies as I felt my legs begin to tremble from the waves of pleasure that were starting to wash over me. My breathing came out in pants as he increased his speed. Cries and moans called out of me in a way that made me question if I was the one really making them.

"Tommy!" I called out, my nails digging into the skin of his lower back as mine arched. My body began to shudder as I came, my head digging backwards into the pillow under it. I could feel him start to swell inside of me as he clamped his teeth gently on my shoulder. His voice sang my name as he came as well, his arms pulling me tight against him. Panting, he let himself partially collapse on top of me, making sure to hold most of his weight on his arms that were propped up on either side of me. The bed felt incredibly soft now and the weight of Tommy on top of me was warm and welcomed. He rested his forehead against my sternum while he caught his breath. Reaching up, I ran my fingers through his short hair. It was soft and felt nice between my fingertips. Lifting his head, he smirked at me.

"I didn't mean to barge in like that." He said, taking my hand in his and pressing a kiss on the back of it. Grinning, I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure you did." Pulling himself up more, he gave me a quick kiss before rolling over on the bed next to me. It felt empty and cold without him on or inside of me. He pulled at the covers, bringing them out from under us. Tossing them over our bodies, he reached around and pulled me, so I was flush against his chest. He let out a soft hum as he nuzzled his nose into the back of my neck, his arms wrapped around my midsection in a sweet but protective way.


	13. Chapter 13

That night, I was haunted by terrible nightmares. Most involved old battles between the Power Rangers and some of the worst monsters we faced. In each one, we were killed one by one in gruesome ways that left me in tears each time I woke up. The final dream was during the time I lost my power coin. I was helpless as I watched my team mates being ripped apart by Goldar and Lord Zedd, leaving Tommy for last. Zedd just stood there laughing as Goldar ran Tommy through with his sword. That caused me to wake with a start, stirring Tommy who was still holding me. Tears streamed down my face and I felt my whole body shiver in panic. "Hey. Hey. You okay?" Tommy asked softly, rolling me over so I was facing him. I nodded, wiping my face free of tears.

"Yeah. Just a nightmare. That's all." I answered, trying my best to shove the image of Tommy dying from my mind. Sunlight was starting to fill Tommy's bedroom as the sun rose over the trees surrounding his house. Rolling over, he glanced out the window and sighed.

"I suppose we should get ready to head to the chasm. The sooner we get the gems, the sooner we can stop Rosita before she attacks." He turned back to face me, cupping my cheek in his hand. "You sure you okay?"

"I'm fine, Tommy. It was just a bad dream. Really." He gave me a hesitant look before nodding.

"Alright. Should we talk about last night before we go?" I shook my head as I tossed the covers off of me. Scooting out of the bed, I scooped up my underwear and pulled them back on.

"We can talk after everything is all over. Right now, I just want to focus on getting those dino gems and getting back to Angel Grove." He frowned for a second before I gave him a little wink. "Though, I'm not opposed to any fun that were to happen during our time together for the mission." Walking over to my suitcase, I fished around for something to wear as he climbed out of the bed. I pulled out a light pink t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, wiggling into them as Tommy looked through his dresser drawers.

"Having to pick between four different colors gets difficult sometimes." He muttered, tossing out t-shirts over to the bed. A dark green one landed at my feet. Bending over, I picked it up and stepped over to him.

"Here." I handed him the shirt, stopping him from his search. "Original is always the best." He grinned at me before tugging it down over his head. He also dressed in a pair of tan khakis pants, pushing the drawers shut with his bare foot as he stood up straight. I brushed out my bed head, shoving my feet into my sneakers.

"I'm going to find something for breakfast on the go. Meet me downstairs in five?" He asked. I nodded, pulling my hair back into a pony tail. He kissed the top of my head as he passed me, leaving the room. I grabbed a white sweat jacket from my bag before following after him. I could hear him rattling some stuff around in the kitchen as I came down the stairs. A loud clang of two pots hitting together echoed in the house, followed by a string of curse words. He emerged from the kitchen, shoving items into a black backpack.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" I asked. He shrugged, tossing the bag over his shoulder.

"I had to dig really deep to find some food that the teenagers didn't eat on me. Hope you don't mind granola bars and trail mix."

"Sounds fine to me." I replied. Pulling on my sleeve, I realized that my communicator was not there. I had taken it off before my shower last night. "I'll be right back." I called, jogging up the stairs. Walking into the bathroom, I found it on the back of the toilet.

Picking it up, I felt a cold jolt throughout my body. It was as if the whole world tilted on it's side and someone had dumbed ice water over my head. Everything was darker now, like I was looking into a scene of a horror movie. "Tommy?" I called out, walking back into the hallway. The lights flickered above my head, casting shadows around me. There was no answer, dead silence filling the house. Reaching out, I grabbed the banister and slowly made my way down the stairs. Tommy wasn't in the foyer where I had left him. Stepping around the bottom of the stairs, I made my way towards the living room. I felt uneasy on my feet, the room spinning with each step I took. I tried calling out to Tommy again, but a wave of nausea threatened to make me sick when I opened my mouth. I stopped walking, closing my eyes to help myself become grounded.

"Kimmy, Kimmy, Kimmy." A voice whispered in my ear, the breath tickling my neck. Gasping, I spun around and open my eyes. No one was there though, the spinning feeling stopping. I looked around the room for the source of the voice, but I was the only one standing in the area. The nausea feeling increased as it felt like the room was tipping forward. I reached out and gripped the banister to stop myself from falling. "Silly little girl…" The voice whispered in my ear again.

"Hello? Tommy!" I called, doing my best to keep the contents of my stomach in place.

"He can't hear you, Kimmy. He's already dead." The voice said, louder this time. I stumbled forward, heading towards the kitchen. I saw the form of a person on the floor just passed the doorway. It was Tommy. He was kneeling on the floor, his arms folded behind his back. He stared out into space, not looking up at me when I entered the room.

"Tommy? Tommy, what are you doing?" I asked, kneeling down in front of him.

"I must serve my empress." He responded back, his voice sounding determined. His eyes shifted so that he was glaring at me. "The Power Rangers will never be able to defeat us now. I will kill you all." His voice dripped with venom as he moved his hands from behind him. I saw the metal glint of silver and green as the Dragon Dagger appeared from behind his back.

"What are you-." I was cut off as he jabbed the dagger into my stomach. Pain seared throughout my body as I let out a scream. Glancing down, I saw my blood was pooling out of the wound and running down the weapon and Tommy's out stretched arm. The world began to dim as I fell forward. He caught me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. Leaning in, he brought his lips closer to my ear.

"You mean nothing to me."


	14. Chapter 14

"Kim? Kim?!" A voice said as I woke with a start. My eyes landed on Tommy who was holding me in his arms. I let out a shriek, shoving him away. Scrambling, I crawled over to the corner of his kitchen by the fridge. My breathing came out in hard breaths, my lungs feeling like they couldn't fill as I panted. Looking down, I saw no blood on my clothes. Lifting my shirt, I saw there was no stab wound of any kind. There was no pain there but there was a slight throbbing at the back of my head. "Kim, what is going on?"

"What happened?" I whispered.

"You came down here in like a trance. I tried to get you to wake up, but you wouldn't. Then you started screaming and collapsed. Is your head okay? I think you bumped it on the counter when you fell." I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a little bump forming.

"I had this dream...you...you were under Rita's spell. You had the dagger and you stabbed me with it." I felt tears brim in my eyes as I pulled my knees into my chest. "What was that? I wasn't asleep. I was just standing in the hall upstairs and something came over me. It was like I was in another world."

"Hey." He said softly, moving towards me. "Once we get the dino gems, we can have Alpha run a scan to see what happened. We haven't really slept much, and everything has been kinda crazy. That can have some damage on a person. Everything is okay. I'm not under her spell and the dagger was destroyed almost two decades ago. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know. I know It was just so real." I thought back to the dream, trying my best to remember everything about it. That voice sounded so familiar. I knew who it was, but I couldn't recall who it belonged to. It sent chills down my spine though even as I thought of it.

"Are you going to be okay to go with me for this? You can stay here, and I'll get them." He suggested, helping me to my feet. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. The sooner we get all this done, the sooner I will feel better about the whole thing."

"Alright." Bending down, he grabbed the back pack and tossed it over his shoulder. Grabbing my hand, he led me out to his jeep. He opened the door for me before running over to his side. I felt a headache coming on, no doubt from my bump on the noggin. I ignored it though as Tommy started the engine and pulled out of his drive.

The drive to the caves was mostly quiet. I saw him glance over at me every couple of minutes, a hint of concern in his features. I didn't say anything though, knowing I would be just as concerned if it had been him. When he pulled into the parking area of the cave system, I saw that it was much different in the day light than it had been last night. From the parking area, I could see a vast amount of forest surrounding the area. Tall pine trees and other types of forestry seemed to stretch for miles around us. In the distance, I could hear the sound of the ocean. The salt was in the area here, making it cooler than usual. The stone steps that went from the parking lot down to the caves seemed steeper now, the opening of the chasm waiting at the base. Climbing out, I made sure to grab one of the flashlights from yesterday when we ventured into the Command Center. Tommy grabbed his bag and a large flashlight. It was black with a handle, a round button the top of it. Shutting the door, he made sure to lock the jeep. I gave him a questioning look as he walked towards me.

"My luck, her brand of Putties will show up. I already had to use my insurance to fix it twice after battles. I'm not chancing it now." He explained. I nodded.

"Gotcha." Together, we started down the stone steps towards the cave. The opening was about the size of a door way, equally tall as it was wide. Tommy and I turned our flashlights on as we neared it.

"Last time I was down here, I was looking for the other dino gems." He called over his shoulder as we entered. Even though the sun was extremely bright outside, it did nothing to affect the darkness of the cave. It was almost pitch black, our beams of light illuminating sections as we walked. The air was colder in here as well, a chilly dampness surrounding us. Thankfully, there was a beaten path in the cave from the amount of people venturing through here. I could see teenagers coming here for some one on one time. It was far enough and private enough to not be bothered. I'd pay anything to have those thoughts be the only thing on my mind again.

"How are we supposed to know where they are?" I asked, following Tommy as he made a right turn. The sound of water dripping echoed off the walls of the cave, making it seem louder and everywhere.

"That's what this is for." Pulling his bag off, he unzipped the front pocket of it and pulled out what looked like a calculator. "This is an energy reader. It's similar to what Trini had in her helmet before. It can pick up on energy readings and signs of life. The gems will give off just enough power for us to pick up on them I hope." He turned the little device on, the screen lighting up green as he did. It beeped loudly, a black dot appearing to the right of the screen. A line traveled in a circular motion on the screen, almost like a radar detector. Another dot appeared next to the first one. "There they are. We still have a little way to go."

"Okay." We walked through the cave, doing our best to not trip over anything on the ground. Now and then, beer cans and bottles appeared, showing signs of previous teenager activities.

"So, you don't want to talk about last night at all?" Tommy asked, casting me a glance over his shoulder.

"What do you want me to say, Tommy? Everything is super up in the air with Rita and Zedd's kid here and us having our powers back. There is nothing more in this world that I want than to be with you but there's so much to work out before that can happen." I replied, pointing my flashlight away from him. I didn't want to see his face when I said that.

"I understand that, but we already spent so much time apart. I don't want to waste another minute."

"I know. I feel the same way. I just think that focusing on that right now isn't the best idea. If we end up going back into battle, I don't want us to be a liability to each other and our friends. It happened all the time when we were kids. So much more is on the line now. One mistake and we could be the reason JC doesn't have a mother or father any more. Or that Billy's wife isn't going to see her husband anymore. Or that Zack won't get to be that Broadway star. When it comes to us fighting bad guys, you tend to protect me first and then focus on being a leader."

"What do you expect, Kim? It was bad enough that our friends were out there fighting. The fact my girlfriend was getting attacked, kidnapped and used as a target on almost aa daily basis wasn't the easiest thing to deal with. Of course, I worried about you first. Who wouldn't?"

"That's what I'm saying, Tommy. I shouldn't come before anyone else. This job is serious, and I don't want to be a distraction for you. When we defeat Rosita, we can work on getting back together. It's all I've wanted to do since I broke up with you." Tommy stopped walking suddenly, turning to face the wall.

"The dino gems are here somewhere. Look for a break in the wall somewhere." I nodded, pointing my light towards the rock wall. It was mostly smooth, some jagged parts sticking out. Tommy set his flashlight down so it was pointing up, allowing him to use both hands to search. "You do want to be together again, then?"

"Of course I do." I replied, feeling the wall for anything. "I think waiting is just the best idea. I also think we shouldn't tell anyone until this is over. I don't want anything to be weird in the group because of it."

"Well, I don't think it would be weird. I think everyone would be happy for us."

"I do too. I just don't want them all to think we were doing something scandalous while we were here getting the gems."

"We did, though." He replied, grinning over at me. I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile. I failed.

"You're such an ass sometimes." I replied. Bending over, I ran my hands over the rock. My hand caught on a hole. I shone the light into the golf ball size hole between the slate. A glint of pink reflected. "I found it!" I exclaimed. Tommy ran over to where I stood, peeking into the hole. He nodded, setting the backpack and the radar on the ground by our feet. He pulled a hammer and chisel from the bag.

"I'm going to break up the big pieces until we can get to it." He said before getting to work. The noise echoed off the walls of the cave each time he hit the chisel with the hammer. Flakes or chunks of rock fell each time, building a pile by his feet. Bringing my wrist up towards my face, I hit the button on the side of the communicator.

"Alpha, it's Kim. Tommy and I found the dino gems." I said into the speaker. A weird staticky noise came out when I released the button. "Alpha?" I said, trying again. I could hear Alpha but couldn't make sense of any of the words.

"The cave is probably too deep for the signal. We can call them when we get the gems out." Tommy said, breaking a rather large chunk off the wall. I could see more of the pink dino gem and the green one was now sticking out slightly next to it. Both were rather beautiful and seemed to glow in the darkness. I bent to get a closer look when movement on the screen of the radar caught my eye. Picking it up, I saw that twelve little dots were on the left side of the screen. They were all grouped together and moving quickly towards the middle of the screen.

"Uh, Tommy? I think we have company." I said, holding the radar out. He glanced at it quick, swearing under his breath.

"I suppose those aren't bats." He muttered. "Here." He handed me the tools. "Keep working until the gems are out. I'll fight them off until then. Go as quickly as possible though. There's only one reason why they here." I nodded, taking the tools. He brushed by me, heading to the opening of the cavern we were in. Swinging the hammer, I broke off more of the rock. The pink dino gem was almost out and the green one was still half covered. In the distance, the familiar sound of Putties echoed.

"Talking about sticking with the originals." I said, Tommy taking a fighting stance. The putties busted into the cavern, their beady black eyes narrowing when they saw us. The man shaped clay figures ran full speed towards Tommy. He swung, taking the legs of two of them out at once. It was a flurry of fists and feet as he fought them, their noises drowning out those of the hammer each time I hit the metal chisel. The pink dino gem finally fell loose. I scooped it up with my hand and shoved it in my pocket. I swung as fast as I could, trying to wiggle the green gem out.

"Anytime would be nice, Kim!" Tommy called out, swinging a putty over his head. The twelve of them all seemed to be focused on Tommy more than me. Not one of them tried to attack me.

"Almost there! Keep them distracted!" I replied. He took a kick to the ribs, sending him skidding back a few feet towards me.

"Distracted? Are you joking?" He asked, leaping back towards them. I grabbed hold of the green dino gem and tried pulling on it. It moved a little, trying it's best to stay put. Tossing the chisel, I began hitting the gem with the hammer itself. The hammer hit the gem, sending it bouncing off the side of the hole. I tried to catch it but it flew passed my fingers and towards the group fighting with Tommy. The gleam of it caught one of the puttie's eyes. He turned to grab it.

"I don't think so, creep." I said, running towards him. He grabbed it off the ground, but I kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. The gem went flying out of his hand and through the air. The putty fell, disappearing as his chest plate broke apart. The green stone hit the wall on the far-right side of the cavern, dropping to the cave floor. Another putty grabbed it, making what I assumed was an excited cry as he waved it at his clay friends. There was a large rock between him and I that I used to my advantage. Running, I held my hands out and flipped over the boulder. My feet landed perfectly on the ground in front of him. He looked at me surprised as I punched him in the plate on his chest. He dropped the gem as his body parts began to crumble apart. I grabbed the gem and ran over to the rest of our stuff. Quickly, I shoved the gems into the back pack and pulled it onto my back. "Tommy! Let's get out of here!" I called. The number of putties was shrinking now, Tommy killing a good number of them. He nodded, glancing over his shoulder at me. Jumping, he kicked two of them at once as they came running towards him. The two disintegrated when he made contact, leaving three putties. The three looked at each other before running the other direction.

"You okay?" Tommy asked, trying to catch his breath. I nodded, handing him his flashlight.

"Yeah. I guess it is just like riding a bike. Forgot what it was like to kill one of those things."

"It's something I wish I could forget. We should get out of here before they come back." He responded. I nodded, handing him his flashlight. Turning, we headed out of the cave.


	15. Chapter 15

"Alpha, Kim and I are in my lab. We have the dino gems." Tommy said, holding his wrist up to his mouth. He was standing by the desk in his basement, leaning against a monitor. I was perched in the chair next to him, listening for a response. We had been trying to reach the Command Center since we made our way out of the caves. There has been no response from anyone yet.

"Rangers! It's good to hear your voice. The communicators have been down due to using our power sources to utilize the dino gems." Alpha's robotic voice said after a few seconds. "Tommy, once you have charged the dino gems, you'll be able to teleport back to Angel Grove."

"Will do, Alpha." Tommy replied. Reaching over, he scooped up the two colored gems that were sitting on the edge of his desk. They seemed to glow brighter as he touched them. Walking towards his lab, he set the stones down on a small elevated table. He pulled over a machine and began to press buttons on them. Standing, I walked over towards him.

"What is all this?" I asked, gesturing towards the machine.

"This machine uses the molecules in the dino gems to absorb energy. I used it when the kids became Rangers. Sometimes, the gems would become weak if there wasn't a lot of action going on. All you do is put them into the machine and then touch them once they are done. It will tap into your natural power and you will be able to morph when we have the morphers." He explained, pulling a tray from the machine. He placed the dino gems on the tray before inserting them into the middle of the charger. He turned some knobs before pushing a button on the front of it.

"How long will it take?" I asked. He shrugged.

"About half an hour. When we are synced up with them, we'll be able to teleport like we used to."

"Oh. Okay."

"Why? You okay?" Tommy asked as I ran a hand through my pony tail. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Just a lot to process since I came back. I should contact my supervisor and let her know I won't be back for a few more days. I have the time saved up."

"I should too. Our principal knows all about my history as a Power Ranger. I just have to let her know that I need some time to help Angel Grove again." I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"She knows? How does she know?"

"She was one of the bad guys we fought. She was Mesogog's right hand until he sacrificed her for her powers. I will never get over the fact that monsters like Mesagog and Rita can just brainwash people to do their bidding. It's sickening." He frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Tommy, it's not your fault that Rita took you under her control. She tapped into the power of the morphing grid and found you. There was no way to avoid it. You didn't willingly go with her. What other choice did you have in the matter?" I said, placing a hand on his upper arm. "We were just glad you joined us after you were freed."

"Me too. The best years of my life were spent wearing the uniform. Sometimes, I can still hear Jason calling out the command to morph."

"That's just because he's still bossy." I mused. He chuckled, smiling down at me. "We were lucky to have you."

"No." He said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. "I was lucky to have you. You were the only one in the group that never gave up on me, even when I was under Rita's spell. You kept trying no matter how horrible I was to you. Before, when you talked about being under the spell when we were on the island, you said it was like your worst nightmares were being played on a loop. Being under Rita's spell was like having all my darkest emotions brought to the top. I enjoyed fighting against you guys. It was like a part of me thrived on it. Every chance I had to attack was a high to me. At one point, I was almost convinced that I was becoming the person I wanted to become because of how good it felt. But then the spell was broken. It was like a part of me died off with it."

"That's a good thing then. Maybe when Rita's spell was destroyed, it took those horrible thoughts with it. Look how much good you did when you were the green ranger on our team. Until the powers were gone, you were our best fighter and that's why Zordon choose you to be our new leader. Zordon saw the good in you just like how we all saw it."

"Kim, there's something I need to tell you that I've never told anyone." He said, casting his eyes to the floor. "Do you remember that first battle against me? When I jumped into the Megazord?" I nodded.

"It was when you first showed yourself to us." I replied. He swallowed hard.

"Rita's spell was powerful. It controlled almost every part of me. My brain was still very much alive though, even if it was only the evil parts of it. When she handed me the power coin, her and Goldar provided me with all the identities of you guys. She had me study up on who you all were and your schedules. She wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before going into battle. I knew full well who you all were when I ripped into the cockpit of the Megazord and tossed you out one by one. When it came to throwing you out…I fought myself like hell. Kept trying to tell myself that I couldn't do it. That you were special. Every insecurity inside of myself started to eat me alive. It drove me to push you out of the zord and almost kill you. I knew what I was doing and part of me didn't want to stop myself from doing it."

"That wasn't you. That was everything Rita was trying to bring out of you. You aren't evil, Tommy."

"What if I am though?" He asked, sighing. Pushing passed me, he sat on the steps leading up to the house and rubbed his face with his hands. "What if the power inside me is the evil force behind what fueled the green ranger powers? What if by bringing them back to life, I awaken those feelings again?"

"The evil was the spell Rita used. It wasn't inside of you. You were brainwashed into thinking that you wanted to end the world. You really don't want to end the world, do you?" I asked, stepping towards him. I knelt down so I was eye level with him, balancing my hands on his knees.

"No. Of course I don't."

"And you don't want to kill Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy and I, do you?" He shook his head, grabbing my hands.

"No." He whispered, looking at me. I smiled, standing.

"Then stop thinking like this. You're Dr. Tommy Oliver, leader of the Power Rangers! The defender of Earth against all things gross and evil. The longest serving Power Ranger as well, might I add?" He chuckled, standing.

"Alright. Alright. No need to feed my ego." He said, pulling me in for a warm hug. "I think after this is all over, I may need to take a vacation somewhere. I hear Florida is nice."

"Too many old people." I said, standing on my tippy toes. I gave him a kiss on the lips just as a loud beeping came from the middle of the room. He pulled away, looking towards the source of the sound.

"The gems are done charging." He called, walking towards the machine. He opened the door and pulled out the tray. The gems certainly looked charged; both were glowing a brilliant shade of their color. They looked like they were seconds from bursting into flames, the pink one reminding me of the zord I used to fly when I was a teenager.

"They're beautiful." I said, bending closer to look at them.

"They are pieces of the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs. When it hit, it broke apart and lodged deep into the earth. It's a miracle we managed to find them but luckily, they give off enough energy when a person who is capable of wielding them is nearby. That's why they are so bright now. It senses the powers we have and wants to tap into it."

"Well, I suppose we should do just that then." He nodded, locking eyes with me.

"Count of three?"

"Okay. One."

"Two."

"Three!" We both said, reaching out and grabbing the respected dino gems. As soon as my skin made contact with the rock, it was like a bolt of energy rippled through my body. It gave off this amazing sensation that made every nerve ending in my body sing. I could see my skin glow with a pink hue as the dino gem absorbed the power inside of me. It felt like I was being wrapped in a warm blanket while standing in the middle of an electric storm. I felt alive, reminding me of when I first was given the power coin at the Command Center all those years ago.

Glancing over, I saw Tommy must be having the same feeling. There was a green aura around him, shining from the top of his head down to his feet. A smile spread across his face of fascination as he looked at his hands. He moved the gem from one hand to the other, eying it like it was magic. "This is incredible. This is different than when I received the black dino gem. It's like it's trying to find a place inside me that I didn't know was there." He said as the glow around us disappeared.

"It's like when we first were given our power coins. Is it because it's tapping into our own natural power like they did?" I asked. He nodded, looking at the green gem in his hand.

"I believe so. I guess now we should test to see if they work. Let's teleport to the Command Center."

"Those are some words I never thought I'd hear again." I replied, grinning at him. He smiled, bring the communicator to his mouth.

"Alpha, Kim and I have the dino gems. We fused our bodies with them like we were supposed to. Try teleporting us to your location." He said in his leader voice filled with firm determination.

"Right away, Tommy!" Alpha's voice said. Suddenly, there was a blast of pink and green light around us and I felt myself ripped off the ground and into the sky. This was different than the teleporting I remembered. Where that was more controlled, this was like flying through the air with no sense of direction. Tommy reached out a grabbed my hand, trying his best to keep us both from tumbling. The Command Center came into view and I braced myself for the impact. It came suddenly, dropping the both of us on the floor in the middle of the room. I landed on top of Tommy, staring on my back up at the ceiling. "Rangers! I am so sorry! Once the dino gems are placed into your morphers, we will be able to control teleporting better." Alpha said. I pushed myself up to my feet, holding a hand out for Tommy to take. He did, pulling himself up so he was standing.

"It's fine, Alpha." I said, smiling at the little robot. He was standing by the control panel, fidgeting his hands out of nervousness. "We're okay. I promise."

"Have you finished the other dino gems?" Tommy asked, walking towards Alpha.

"Yes, Tommy." Zordon's voice said, appearing in the tube. "The other rangers were given their gems earlier today and have already added them to their morphers. Once you and Kimberly do the same, you will be able to morph."

"Here, Tommy." Alpha said, handing him our old morphers. "I was able to find all of them. They must have been restored with the rest of the Command Center when Zordon came back."

"Thanks, Alpha." Tommy took the morphers, handing one to me. I took it, smiling at the device in my hand. It was just as I remembered, the gold and silver metal wrapped around the red circle where our power coins used to go. POWER RANGERS was written in the red circle, the white lettering looking older and slightly chipped. Turning it over, I saw the familiar carving of my initials I had put into it a few months after becoming a ranger. I ran my finger over the KAH, remember the night I did this. Tommy had similar marks on the back of his after he joined our team. He was the green ranger then, just like he was going to be now.

"Just place your gems into the slot like the coins and the will adjust to fit inside of the morpher." Alpha explained, pressing a few buttons on the computer. "I'm calling the other Rangers here so we can start working on a plan."

"Good idea, Alpha." Tommy said, turning to face me. "Ready?" He asked. I nodded, holding up my gem.

"As I'll ever be." I pressed the gem into the middle of the morpher. The gem went from being a rectangular shape to flattening out like a coin. It was as if it had melted into the slot. It glowed pink again while it changed, the morpher also giving off a pink hue. In the middle of the gem, I could make out the picture of something. Looking closer, I realized it was that of a pterodactyl. It was fairly similar to the one that was imprinted on my power coin, but it moved like a miniature dinosaur in the middle of the stone. Next to me, Tommy pressed his gem in as well. Like mine, it molted to fit inside of the opening. Also like mine, I could see something moving inside of it. He eyes filled with surprise when he saw it was a small dragon that stood much like the Dragonzord used to.

In front of us, yellow, red, black and blue lights appeared as the rest of the team teleported in. They managed to land on their feet, not in a pile on the floor like Tommy and I had. Trini smiled when she saw me, running over to give me a hug. The boys greeted each other like boys do before each gave me a hug as well. "How was the mission?" Jason asked, looking at Tommy and me.

"Good. We found the gems and have them in our morphers. We're good to go." Tommy replied. I felt Trini eying me. I gave her a confused look before she nodded at Tommy. I felt my face flush slightly as I looked away from her. How was it that she could see after just two minutes that something had happened? The boys didn't seem to notice though, they remaining as clueless as usual.

"Now that we have our powers back, we should just be able to walk into the hotel and kick some ass, right?" Zack asked. Trini shook her head.

"Just walking in there would be too dangerous for not only us but the civilians in and around it. We need to come up with a plan first that will result in the least number of casualties."

"Trini is right. I think our best bet is to do some recon." Jason replied.

"That might not be a good idea." I replied, frowning. "There were putties at the cave where Tommy and I found the gems. They know we have them. Rosita might know now too. She'll be able to piece together why Tommy and I were at the hotel now if she didn't know who we were in the first place."

"I'm more than likely correct in assuming that she has been taught the identities of the first ranger team as we were her parents enemies." Billy replied, adjusting his glasses.

"Are we going to access to our Zords?" Jason asked, turning to look up at Zordon. "Were those brought back as well?"

"Yes, Jason. Alpha was able to bring them back on line. We are charging them through the morphing grid. The only one that is able to be used right now is the pterodactyl dinozord. The Dragonzord remains in the ocean where it's laid dormant since Tommy lost his powers from before. It will also require some time to charge as well." Zordon replied.

"We could have Kim do sky surveillance over the hotel. From up there, we could scan the area to see if they have anything that we didn't know before. If she has some giant-sized monsters she's hiding, that would be the way to find them." Jason said, facing us again. I nodded.

"I can do that." I replied, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "If I see anything, I can radio back to you guys. An aerial point of view could help us figure out the best place for battle as well."

"You sure about this, Kim?" Tommy asked.

"I'll be alright. It's not a battle. I'm just going to be scanning the hotel." I reassured him. He looked worried regardless.

"I will connect the surveillance radar to the pterodactyl. Once you are airborne, we'll be able to receive the communicated signal to the viewing globe." Billy said, heading off to the bay where the Zords were kept. Trini followed, offering to help him.

"It's almost night fall. The best time to do it would be once it's dark." Zack said, glancing at his watch.

"Well, I guess I get to morph before the rest of you then." I teased, shooting the boys a wink. Jason shook his head, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah. Show off." He replied. Taking a breath, I held my morpher out in front of me.

"It's morphin' time! Pterodactyl!" I called out. I felt the energy buzz through me like a bolt of lightning. Pink filled my vision as I felt my body being wrapped in the familiar pink combat type spandex. The helmet formed over my head, sealing my hair in the back of it. As I finished morphing, I glanced out of the visor. The boys all smiled at me. Unclasping the sides of the helmet, I pulled it off. "It's been so long, I forgot what that felt like."

"Kim?" Trini's voice called behind us. We all turned to look at her. "The Zord is ready."


	16. Chapter 16

"How's it feel to be back in the driver's seat?" Zack's voice asked in my ear. I smiled, pulling back on the lever in front of me. The pterodactyl dinozord pulled up in the air, flying towards the outskirts of Angel Grove. Much like riding a bike, it was easy to remember how to fly my Zord once I was back at the helm. It glided through the air like nothing, the wings spread out on my sides like a real prehistoric flying dinosaur. I made sure to turn off all the lights on the under carriage, cloaking my presence from anyone who happened to look up. Billy also made me invisible to any type of radar in the area, making it so the military and nearby airports were unable to detect me. I flew the zord towards the hotel, the lights of the building quickly approaching. It was the tallest building on this side of town and the gold gleamed in the glow of the moon above it.

"It's like I never left." I replied. "I'm coming up on the hotel. Are you guys seeing it?" I asked.

"Affirmative, Kim." Billy said, his voice in my ear. "You'll need to hoover over the building for several minutes for us to be able to get a floor plan with the radar equipment."

"Alright. I'm moving closer now." Flying towards the building, I pulled up on the brake and slowed down. The engines in the wings of the zord hissed as I brought the machine to a halt over the hotel. "I'm over it right now. Start scanning."

"Kim, once the reading it done, you make sure you get the hell out of there." Jason said, his tough voice carrying over in the cockpit of the pterodactyl.

"No worries there." I muttered, holding the mech in place. Glancing out of the window, I looked at the hotel. On the roof, there were several columns like structures that blinked a red light every few seconds. They did not blink at the same time but rather in a pattern. A screen lit up on one of the column, but I was unable to make out what it was. "From what I see up here, there are some weird computer things on the roof. I'm not sure what they are but they don't look like they belong there."

"They might be how they are communicating with the rest of the universe. Rita and Zedd liked keeping in contact with other beings out there in case they needed some help. She might be doing the same thing." Tommy replied. I could hear a gruffness in his voice. He was not pleased that I had agreed to do this. He didn't say so, but I could tell by the way he looked at me while I climbed into the zord before I left.

"Whatever they are, they have blinking lights on them. Can you guys see them?" I asked.

"Yeah. Alpha is trying to see if he can pick up on a signal from them." Jason replied. "Just a few more minutes, Kimmy. Then you can head back. Can't have you out there having all the fun."

"You're just jealous." I said, flicking on the switch for the auxiliary engine. I was trying my best to cut back on the noise I was giving off.

"Hey, our Zords are now fully charged. We could come out and kick some butt if need be." Zack said.

"I don't think that's necessary. Kim, we have the scan. You can come back now." Billy said.

"Alright. I'm coming back." Turning off the stabilizer, I shifted the craft to face towards the desert where the Command Center was. Pushing down on the throttle, the Zord flew away from the hotel. "I'm getting hungry. Anyone want some take out while I'm out?" I asked, smiling to myself.

"Ha ha. Just get back here." Tommy replied, sounding more relieved than before.

"Fine." There was a sudden jerk and it felt like I was being pulled backwards. I pushed down on the throttle some more, hoping it was just the backup engine faltering. There was another jolt and the Zord dropped quickly for a few hundred feet. A scream flew out of my mouth as I struggled to bring it back up.

"Kim! What's going on?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know. I dropped altitude for some reason. I think my back engine is failing." I called out. Turning, I glanced out the back window. I saw that there was something stuck to the back end of the craft, a blinking light on the end of it. "I've been hit! It's one of the computer things from the hotel. I think she's trying to track me."

"Head back." Jason said. I shook my head, boosting my engines.

"I can't. They will know where everyone is. I'm going to see if I can toss it." I replied.

"Kim, meet me at the bay. I'll call the Dragonzord and we can pull it out."

"Okay. Hurry! It's killing my engines." Red lights began to flash all over the cockpit, warning me of the engines being to fail. I shifting the controls and headed towards the bay where I knew the Dragonzord was kept. I could see the reflection of the moon on the surface of the water, telling me the ocean was coming closer. Behind me, I could hear the object lodged into the metal of the zord begin to buzz. Swearing, I pushed harder and sped up. A high pitch scream came from one of my engines before a fireball erupted from my right side. A siren sounded in the cockpit as the pterodactyl began to nose dive. "Tommy! Where are you? I lost all but one of my engines. I'm going to crash!"

"Hang on, beautiful! I'm coming right now." His voice called back. I could hear the call of the Dragonzord in the background. Using everything I had, I pulled up on the throttle and tried to bring the zord back up to the air. It didn't work, the ocean starting to come closer. In the distance, I could see the outline of the enormous Dragonzord on the far right side of the bay. "Kim, eject!" Tommy called out. Reaching over, I slammed my gloved fist on the eject button. Nothing happened. My seat didn't move, and I was still inside of the Zord.

"It's not working!" I yelled. The ocean was coming closer and faster. I braced myself for the impact.

"KIM!" Tommy's voice screamed as I hit the surface of the water. The front of the zord bent as if it had hit a brick wall. The sudden stop threw me forward, but the straps of my seat held me in securely. Amazed by the face I was alive, I looked around me. Smoke billowed from the right side of the zord as the left side began to sink under the water. Cold water began to fill the inside of the cockpit. Ripping my seat belt off, I pushed on the hatch above my head. It didn't budge. The lights in the cockpit flickers as more water rushed in. Sitting back in my seat, I tried kicking at the plated glass in the front. It didn't even splinter. My heart raced in my chest as I tried again and again. Each kick made my back twinge in pain for a second before going numb. I ignored the feeling though, trying to add more force with each kick.

"Tommy!" I called out. There was no response, telling me that the intercom was gone as well. The water was up to my chest now, the zord tipping forward as the front end filled with water. Pulling my helmet off, I swung it towards the glass. It chipped slightly as it made contact, faint spider webs crossing the window. I repeated the action, more cracks appearing. "Come on!" I hollered, swinging again. The glass cracked again but didn't break. Reach up, I pushed but it didn't give. I tried to swing the helmet again, but the water was slowing down my movement. "No, no, no!" I whispered, doing my best to kick and hit the glass. Pushing myself against the glass, I frantically searched around. It was pitch dark, the lights from the bay looking like fire flies in the distance.

The water had reach my neck now. I kept bobbing up and own, trying to stay above it. Reach up, I pulled on the hatch again. I saw that the metal had twisted so it was blocking it from opening. Tears began to brim in my eyes as I stood on the seat of the cock pit and pushed with everything left in me. It opened slightly, allowing more water to pour in before slamming shut. This was it. This was how I was going to die. I survived so many battles against monsters bigger than skyscrapers, fought one on one against bad guys that could cause nightmares and lived through an accident that almost left me paralyzed but this is what kills me? Where was the justice in that? Was there really no karma? After all the good I've tried to do, this is what happens to me in the end. And just after I had Tommy back in my life.

"Kim!" A muffled voice cried above me. Looking up, I saw a green cladded figure standing on the right wing of the pterodactyl.

"Tommy!" I called, bobbing my head above the water. My helmet was floating around my head, bouncing off the glass as it filled with water. Tommy pulled his helmet off, slamming it on the glass from the outside. It cracked more, the web spreading. "Tommy, hurry!" I screamed. I only had about three inches of air left and it was becoming incredibly difficult to breath.

"Hang on!" He yelled back. Pulling the Dragon Dagger from his belt, he knelt down and slammed the tip of it against the fractured part of the glass. Water lapped at the glass, covering it as the Zord sank deeper. Tommy drew the dagger back again and jabbed it into the same spot again and again. The glass splintered slightly, a dime size hole breaking through. I took a deep breath as water filled the rest of the cockpit. I slammed my hand against the glass, staring up at Tommy. "I'm coming! Don't give up! I just got you back. I'm not losing you now." The edges of my vision darkened as my lungs screamed for air. Tommy continued to chip at the glass, small pieces of it flying off as he went. It was no use. My head was spinning from the lack of air and everything was growing dim. "Kim! Kim!" I heard as everything went black.


	17. Chapter 17

Pounding was not the word to describe how my head felt. It was as if a parade was going on filled with nothing but drums. I winced with each thud, wishing the pain would stop. Groaning, I felt my eyes flutter open and a bright light hit them. It made the pain increase, causing me to close my eyes again. Blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the brightness. Glancing down, I saw I was laying in one of the units in the medical bay at the Command Center. Tubes and wires were connected to me in both my arms. Confused, I sat up. Pressure built in my head, causing me to swear under my breath. "What the hell." I whispered, rubbing my temples. I felt like I had gone out drinking for a week straight, choosing tequila over oxygen.

"You're awake!" The chipper voice of Billy said from my left. I glanced over at him, seeing he was doing something on the computer near my bed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Let me inform the others and we will go over everything." He replied, bringing his communicator to his mouth. "Guys, Kimberly is conscious." Billy's arm wasn't even down to his side before the medical bay door slid open, Tommy rushing in. His face was full of concern and his arm was bandaged up from his wrist to the elbow. The green knitted long sleeve shirt he wore was pushed up over the bandage and he wore he traditional khakis. He jogged over to the side of the bed, glancing at the monitor next to me before grabbing my hand.

"Hey, beautiful. It's nice to see those eyes open again." He said as the others walked into the bay. Trini and Jason were holding hands, each smiling when they saw me. Zack smiled as well, giving me a little wave.

"Ugh. What happened?" I questioned, glancing at him. "Last thing I remember was flying over the hotel."

"The pterodactyl was hit with some kind of harpoon that disabled your engines. You went down in the ocean. If it wasn't for Tommy, you would have died." Trini explained, reaching out and taking my other hand. "You gave us quite the scare, girl."

"That's right!" I said, the fuzzy memories coming back to me. I remembered the red dot on the zord now. "What was it?"

"It was a tracking device." Billy said, walking towards the rest of us. "They were trying to find our location I believe. I disabled it when we pulled the zord from the water."

"Rosita knows we are on to her then." I replied, frowning. The group nodded, glancing at one another. "So what's our next move?"

"We draw her out and attack her and her forces far enough away from the city." Jason said, crossing his arms in front of him. "We don't know what kind of power she has behind her and we don't want to chance that taking out Angel Grove."

"Should we make communications with the mayor?" Billy asked. "We could have them start evacuating civilians now." Tommy shook his head.

"If we do that, we may tip her off with all the people staying at the hotel. If anything, we can place the city on alert. They haven't seen a monster attack in almost twenty years. I'm sure they still have some type of protocols in place for this type of situation." He sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "We need to find a replacement for Kim before we make any real plans."

"What?" I asked, looking at him confused. "I'm fine! I didn't take any type of damage from before, right Billy?" Billy shook his head. He went to speak but Tommy cut him off.

"It's too dangerous with your back injury for you to be fighting like this. One wrong hit or move and you could be paralyzed for the rest of your life. We can find someone else who can take over."

"No!" I exclaimed, hopping off the table. I yanked the IV and the rest of the wires off of me, ignoring the pinch of pain as I did. "This is my duty as a Power Ranger! I'm not just going to stand down because of what might happen. Any of you could get hurt! Why am I so special that I can't fight?"

"You are already risking so much as it is. You almost died last night, Kim! There is no way I'm going to let you-." He said but I interjected.

"Let me? You are not my protector, Tommy Oliver. I am my own person to do as I wish, and you are not going to stop me from doing this. I took the dino gem and I am responsible for it now. If this gets me stuck in a wheel chair the rest of my life, so be it. I'm not going to let you or anyone else stop me from finishing this. Do you expect me to just sit here and watch all of my friends risk their lives while I'm safe here? That isn't going to happen." I said, poking him in the chest. He huffed, glaring at me.

"As the leader of this team-."

"Bullshit! Don't pull that leader crap with me. I'm going to fight whether you like it or not." I turned and looked at the rest of the team. "Does anyone else object?"

"Kim, I really do think you should be more careful." Trini said softly. "You're a great fighter but you need to make sure you are going to be able to help us for the long haul." I gave her a small smile, taking her hand.

"I will be more careful. I promise." A siren began to wail around the room, a flashing red light filling the area with a red glow.

"Shit. What now?" Jason groaned as we all headed towards the center of the Command Center. I shot Tommy a glare as I passed him, running next to Trini. I felt a bit winded from running, the after effects of almost drowning still wearing off apparently. Alpha was standing next to the viewing globe, attempting to make the picture more clear. Zordon was in his usual spot in his crystal tube, peering down at Alpha with concern.

"What is it, Alpha?" Zack asked.

"Rangers! A monster is attacking the Angel Grove hospital!" Alpha replied, waving his arms around. "He's terrorizing the staff and the patients."

"Great." Tommy muttered, glancing at the globe. On the screen, there was a humanoid shaped reptile running through the halls of the hospital. It had green and orange scaled skin and piercing white eyes that darted around as he ran after people. "We can take care of him quickly. Jason, you, Zack and I will handle this creep. Trini and Billy, say here and keep working on the pterodactyl zord. We need it to be functioning as soon as possible." His eyes landed on me. "Stay here and heal." He said gruffly, pulling out his morpher.

"It's morphin' time!" Jason called. Him, Zack and Tommy morphed into their respected colored uniform before teleporting out of the Command Center. I glared at the spot where Tommy was just standing while Billy and Trini watched me cautiously.

"Kim? Did something happen between Tommy and you while you were finding the dino gems?" Trini asked, stepping towards me. I tossed her a look, trying to communicate with her without speaking. She nodded, folding her arms in front of herself. "He only wants what's best for you. Seeing you almost die did a lot to him. We thought for sure you were gone when he pulled you out of the Zord. Try not to be too upset with him, okay?" She said, gently touching my shoulder.

"I'll try." I replied, sighing. Turning, her and Billy walked out of the room and towards the hangar where the Zords were kept. I stepped closer to the viewing globe, watching as Jason, Tommy and Zack appeared on the screen.

"Kimberly, are you alright?" Alpha asked, reminding me he was still in the room. I gave him a small smile, nodding.

"I'm okay, Alpha. You don't need to worry about me."

"The Rangers were very worried about you. Especially Tommy." He replied. "I am glad to see you are alright. I'm going to see if Trini and Billy need my assistance." His feet made small thuds as he walked after the blue and yellow rangers. Looking back at the globe, I noticed that the three rangers were now battling the reptile monster outside in the parking lot. Tommy and Jason fought well together, maneuvering at the same speed and hitting with quality impacts that seemed to hurt the ugly beast each time they made contact. Zack came up behind them, added insult to injury with quick kicks.

"It's good to see that the Rangers are still such trained warriors." Zordon said, watching the globe with me.

"Those three eat, breath and sleep training." I said, not looking at him. Tommy jumped onto the hood of a car and hit the thing from behind, sending him flying on to his stomach. The three clearly had the thing on the ropes, ready to defeat it. Jason swung his leg to land a sharp kick to the monster's face, but it caught him with its claws. With a quick jerking motion, the monster snapped Jason's leg. I couldn't hear anything, but I could tell he was in agony by the way he thrashed on the ground. "Zordon!" I called, turning to face him. "Jason's hurt!"

"I will contact the others to assist them." He responded. On the globe, Zack grabbed Jason by the arms and dragged him backwards while Tommy pulled his Dragon Dagger from his belt. He jumped, landing the short sword into the sternum of the beast. In a wave of bright lights and dust, the monster disintegrated in front of them as Trini and Billy came running into the control center.

"What happened?" Trini asked, running over to the globe next to me.

"They killed the monster, but I think it broke Jason's leg." I replied. "They are teleporting back now. We should meet them in the medical bay." Nodding, Trini took off running towards the room we had just left moments ago. Billy and I followed behind her, running into Alpha in the hallway. I heard him running behind us as the sound of painful moans came from the medical bay. Turning the corner, I saw Jason laying on the bed I had been laying in. His helmet was off and he was clutching his right leg. It was at an odd angle, telling us all that it was broken. Trini gasped when she saw him, darting for his side. Tommy and Zack were behind his bed, doing their best to slid him onto the bed properly.

"Billy! We need some help here." Zack said, seeing us in the door way.

"He's leg won't heal right if it's in that direction." Trini said, grabbing Jason's hand. "You'll need to set it before the machine can heal him properly."

"Right." Billy ran over to the right wall that contained a number of white drawers. He pulled one open, pulling out bandages and other medical supplies. He made his way over to Jason, tossing the stuff on the table next to the bed. "Hold him down." He said, ripping a piece of tape with his teeth. Zack and Tommy did as they were told, grabbing onto Jason. Tommy stood at the head of the bed, holding Jason's torso down. Zack took the lower half, holding his functioning leg and hips. "Kim, I need you to help me move his leg back to where it needs to be."

"Okay." I replied, nausea hitting me. I crossed the room and stood by Billy. Trini reached over and unmorphed Jason, returning him to his street clothes. She then reached up and grabbed his cheek, turning his face towards her.

"Just look at me, okay? Think of little JC and our little family." She said, smiling at him. He nodded, doing his best to focus on her. His face was a pale green color and he looked like he was going to faint any second.

"On the count of three, I'm going to jerk his leg back." Billy whisper, glancing at me. "When I do that, you have to take his leg and hold it still so I can wrap it." I nodded. He took a deep breath, nodding at the other guys. They all nodded as well, trying not to give Jason any idea what was coming. "One, two, three!" Billy grabbed Jason's leg by the ankle and moved it towards the other one. Jason let out a short scream before passing out. I took his leg from Billy, holding it steady. It flopped with each move, telling me the bone was completely severed. I closed my eyes, trying not to look at it. I felt Billy wrap the leg while it was straight. I looked when he sighed. Everyone stood up straight, looking more relaxed now that it was set.

"We should get him over to the repair chamber before he wakes up." Zack said. Billy nodded, reaching under the bed. He hit a button and the top of the bed detached from the bottom, allowing Zack and Billy to carry Jason towards the chambers on the left side of the room. They resembled MRI machines; a long incase tube with openings along the side of it to see inside. These chambers use the power of the morphing grid to heal the person inside of them. I suppose I spent a fair share of time in one last night after I sank into the ocean. The boys slid Jason into the first one as I wrapped an arm around Trini.

"He'll be fine, Trini. Just a few hours in there and he'll be up kicking ass." I said, smiling. She shook her head.

"I can't keep doing this. I thought it was bad when we were kids and we were always getting hurt. This is worse! He could have been killed today. What would the kids and I do without Jason there?" She asked, tears brimming her eyes.

"Kids?" I questioned. She nodded, moving her hand to her stomach.

"We wanted to tell everyone at the reunion but then all of this happened. I'm about two months along." She whispered. I casted a glance at Tommy who returned it.

"Trini, that's fantastic!" I said, hugging her. She let out a small laugh, returning the hug.

"Congrats." Tommy said, hugging her as well. "You should have said something before this. We don't know what kind of effects the dino gem could have had on the baby."

"Billy kept an eye on it before and after I synced with the dino gem. The baby seems fine. Jason didn't want me to join either but I didn't want him to fight without me." She replied.

"Once he's up and moving, we'll meet and talk about it." Tommy said. "We'll figure this out."


	18. Chapter 18

It took about three hours for Jason's leg to heal. He was out of the chamber and walking around on crutches while Zach and Billy made a run to Angel Grove for some food. Tommy, Trini and I were in the Command Center going over the scan I had managed to get when Jason limped into the room. "What did I miss?" He asked, smirking at the rest of us. Trini smiled, walking over to him. Wrapping her arms around Jason's shoulders, she whispered something in his ear that made him sigh. He shifted to look at Tommy and me. "I take it you know?"

"Yeah. Congrats, man!" Tommy said, giving Jason a quick hug. I did as well when Tommy let him go.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" I exclaimed, kissing his cheek.

"Thanks. You get why we didn't say anything, right? Trini refused to let me fight without her and we couldn't let you guys fight without us." Jason replied, smirking at Trini who nodded.

"Food's here!" Zack's voice called as him and Billy walked into the room. They both carried boxes of Chinese food, brown bags surrounded by white cartons in each box. "Look who's up! How you feeling, bro?"

"A lot better now. Thanks, Billy." Billy nodded, smiling shyly.

"My actions were only in response of your injury. No gratitude necessary." Billy replied. "Perhaps though we should discuss the pressuring issue at hand. Without Jason and Trini, we are left two Rangers down."

"What do you mean without us?" Jason asked. "Trini is out but I'm still up to fight." Tommy shook his head, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder.

"We can't risk you getting killed out there. You have kids to think about and Trini. I think it's best if you and Trini sit this one out. You both can man things here at the Command Center. We need someone here helping Alpha monitor the hotel and guiding us." Jason moved to object, but Trini cleared her throat. He shot her a look, quickly realizing he was not going to win this battle.

"Fine. Who are you going to have take our place?" He asked, looking sad. I felt bad for Jason. Being a Power Ranger was the most exciting and proudest part of his life. He loved defending the Earth and keeping the city of Angel Grove safe. After he had stepped down, he almost immediately regretted it except for the fact him and Trini were able to connect while at the Peace Conference. During his time as a Zeo ranger, he was able to enjoy being back even though it was only short lived. He always told me that he hasn't found anything that has felt more like his calling since being the red Ranger.

"We called Rocky and Aisha. They are on their way back here now." I replied, giving him a sympathy smile. "They were both willing to fill in for you both." Jason frowned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, shit. Kimmy, I know how you felt before now. It sucks knowing that you guys will be out there fighting while I'm here sitting on my ass like an idiot."

"You can't think of it like that, man." Zack said. "You're going to be helping us a lot here."

"Yeah I suppose so. I think I'm going to turn in for the night." Without another word, he brushed by Trini and headed out of the Command Center. She sighed, watching him leave before turning to face us.

"Thanks for everything, guys. He just needs some time to cool down. You know Jason." She said before following her husband out. Biting my lip, I glanced over at Tommy. He was staring intently at me, his eyes focusing on my face.

"You guys hungry?" Zack asked, breaking us out of our stare down. Turning my head, I saw he was holding up a container of Chinese.

"Kim and I have to talk quick before we eat." Tommy said, grabbing my left hand. I let him pull me from the control room and towards the training rooms at the back of the Command Center. He tapped the third door down the long hallway and it slid open. Walking in, I followed him. The door closed behind me. Inside, it was one of the smaller training rooms we used to use. In the far right corner was a set of weights and a computer that could generate an interactive hologram of any type of enemy. On the right side was a bench and a single locker to hang stuff in. Sighing, Tommy leaned against the wall next to the locker and rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For trying to tell you what to do. I was scared and thought it would make me feel better by trying to stop you. Obviously, it didn't work."

"Oh yeah? What part gave you that idea?" I snorted, crossing my arms. Walking over, I sat on the bench and ran a hand through my hair. It was down now, and I had changed into a plain pink t-shirt and a pair of black leggings. I was still a bit sore from my crash landing yesterday but not enough to cause any really discomfort.

"All of it. And after watching Trini and Jason right now, I get it. I really do." He pushed himself off the wall with his hands and sat next to me. "Kim, I just got you back in my life. I was so terrified of losing you again that I let that fear get the best of me. I don't know what I would do if something like that were to happen to you again. I thought for sure you were dead when I was finally able to break through the glass. You were so cold and lifeless. I thought I was holding your dead body. That shook me right to the core. But then when I got you back here and Billy was able to revive you, I realized just how close we had come to being apart forever. It got the best of me when you woke up. I don't know what I thought it would accomplish though. You're more stubborn than you should be."

"I get that from my mother, I suppose." I replied, turning so I was facing him. I shifted so I was straddling the bench. "Tommy, this job comes with risk. You and I both know that. And yeah, I do have a higher change because of my back. I can't let that stop me from doing the one job I was destined to do. Being a Power Ranger is important to me and so is trying to stop Rosita from trying to take over the rest of the world. We never let Rita or Zedd win, why should their little brat? I know you're scared but so am I. That's why we need to do this together as a team." He sighed again, raising his leg so he was also straddling the bench and facing me.

"I hate when you're right." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He looked exhausted, dark bags under his eyes. "Just promise me that you won't go running after trouble. No more solo missions and any type of pain, you need to tell Billy pronto, okay?"

"Alright. Why don't you go get some sleep? You look so tired. Have you slept since we came back?" He shook his head.

"I haven't slept since that night we spent together at my house. As I recall, there wasn't much sleeping done that night either." I smirked, leaning in closer to him.

"I don't recall you complaining, Dr. Oliver." I whispered before pressing my lips against his. He laughed into the kiss, sliding his arm around my waist and sliding me across the bench closer to him. I raised my legs so they were over his and he lifted me up so I was sitting in his lap. Pulling away, he looked up at me.

"I love you." He whispered, cupping my face in his hands. "I loved you then just like I love you now. Nothing has ever changed that, and nothing ever will. I promise you."

"I love you, too."


	19. Chapter 19

Tommy and I took a short nap after our talk in the training room. It felt nice to lay down even if I had been under during my healing time in the chamber. When we awoke, I could hear the distance voice of Rocky DeSantos coming from up the hall. Sitting up, I glanced over at Tommy. We had both crammed into one of the cots, him choosing to be squished against the wall. He groggily opened his eyes when I stirred. Checking his watch, he groaned. "That was a nice two hour nap." He said, yawning. I nodded, standing. My back ached and popped in some placed but this was normal. Stretching, Tommy set his feet on the floor and stood. His hair was stick up all over the place, the lack of hair product making it seem more natural. Reaching up, I ran my fingers through it which made him sigh with content. "I love when you do that."

"When this is all over, I'll make a mental note to do this every day then." I replied, pulling my hands back. I tossed my own back into a ponytail and motioned towards the door. "Sounds like Aisha and Rocky are here. I suppose we should go out there and see them."

"We should but first…" He trailed off as he wrapped his arms around me. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against mine. Behind him, there was a sudden loud noise as the door to the sleeping chambers opened. Tommy hopped backwards away from me as Rocky came running in.

"Guys! Do you see this?! There's a tiny T-Rex in the middle of the rock!" He said excitedly, holding up the morpher in his hands. Rocky was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt, not choosing to wear his old colors yet apparently. He rushed over to me, showing me the dino gem. He was correct; a tiny red Tyrannosaurus Rex was in the middle of the dino gem. It roared when I looked at it, making Rocky smile.

"Very cool, man." Tommy said through gritted teeth. He shot Rocky a look who didn't seem to notice it. I did my best to stifle a laugh, hiding my smile behind my hand.

"Rocky! Did you just barge in there on them?" Aisha's voice asked as she came in after her boyfriend. Her braided black hair was pulled back in a bun and she was dressed in an airy purple sun dress. She glared at Rocky, shaking her head at him. "Rocky, you're such an ass."

"What? They weren't doing anything in here." He said over his shoulder. He turned back to us. "Were you?"

"No, we weren't." I replied quickly, crossing my arms in front of me. "Glad you guys are here!"

"Thanks, girl." Aisha said, tossing her arms around me in a tight hug. "Sorry that we're working together under all this again."

"It's like old times! Except Zack, Jason and Trini are here this time. Show them your morpher, Sha!" Rocky said, nudging his girlfriend. Sighing, she pulled her morpher from behind her. Like Rocky's and the rest of us, she had an animal in the middle of the gem. It was a saber tooth tiger that looked like it could attack at any minute, much like Aisha.

"I take it you guys have been synced with the gems." Tommy asked.

"Yeah. Billy had us do it as soon as we got here just in case Rosita made a move." Rocky replied. "What do you guys know about her so far?"

"How about we regroup with everyone and we can discuss the plan in full?" Tommy suggested. The two nodded, heading for the door. I followed behind them, Tommy dragging his feet to bring up the read. We journeyed to the control room of the Command Center where everyone was standing. Billy and Trini were working with Alpha at the computer, bringing up a larger view of the hotel scan. Jason was leaning against the other control panel, a sour look on his face. Zack was doing his best to cheer him up but it didn't seem to be working. The whole group looked up as we enter.

"You guys feeling better after getting some sleep?" Trini asked. Zack and Jason snickered, a smile crossing Jason's face for the first time since he broke his leg. Tommy punched them both in the arm as he passed.

"Yes, Trini." I replied, rolling my eyes at the boys.

"Zordon, I think this would be a good time to go over the specs of the hotel and our plans." Tommy called out to our leader. Zordon nodded, shifting to face Alpha.

"Alpha, project the hotel from the viewing globe." Zordon's voice boomed.

"Right away, Zordon." Alpha hit a few buttons and the image of the hotel shifted to the space above the viewing glove. It was almost life size, the whole building floating above us. It looked more a blue print though rather than a picture.

"From what we can gather, the inside of the building is just a normal hotel." Jason said, pointing up. "The only difference is that the basement and the top floor are just solid rooms. There's no walls at all and there are stairwells connecting them to hidden exits."

"It must be where she is hiding her friends." Zack said. Jason nodded.

"Affirmative. I believe she is developing new technology here as well." Billy piped in. He hit a button on the panel and it zoomed in on the roof. The pillars that had been there last night appeared, blinking like they had before. "These lights are connected to a tracking software that she's utilizing to protect their whereabouts. That's what attacked Kim last night."

"What we need to do is lure her out into the desert. If she thinks she can get a heads up attack on us, she's bound to take it." Rocky said, looking up at the model. "But how?"

"With our dino gems." Tommy replied. "Each gem has its own power aside from those we possess. I discovered this when my team used them. I know what the black, blue, red and yellow stones do. There's no telling what power the pink and green have until they are ready to showcase themselves."

"The rocks have super powers?" Jason asked. "Way to wait til now to tell us that, man."

"Sorry. I didn't think of it until after we came back from our battle with the reptile monster. That's why you were able to move so fast when fighting him."

"Yeah. Not fast enough I guess." Jason mumbled. He still had a slight limp, something that would go away over time according to Billy.

"What are the powers?" Zack asked, trying to change the topic from Jason.

"Yours is invisibility. Red is super speed. Yellow is a sonic scream. Blue is armored skin." Tommy rattled off. "To use them, you have to tap into the gem. Most of the time, it only works when you aren't morph. It only worked for Jason at the hospital because it sensed he was in trouble."

"That's awesome!" Rocky exclaimed, smiling. "I can't wait to see what you and Kim can do."

"I'm sure the time will come soon enough." I said. "For now, we should come up with a plan. Yeah, we can lure her out but then what? We have no clue what kind of weapons she has or who she has working with her. Just because we have Zords and super power rocks doesn't mean anything."

"Kimberly is correct. You will need to come up with a plan to draw out what type of army she has, Rangers." Zordon said.

"She's due to attack again. That monster was a test to see if we were really here." Tommy said, stroking his chin. "We only sent three rangers though. What if she only thinks there's three of us? She doesn't know which zord flew overhead last night. We could use this to our advantage."

"You're right." Jason said. Standing, he walked over so he was directly under the map of the hotel. "We need to get eyes on the inside. Tommy and Kim, looks like you're checking in again."

"What?" I asked. "We can't. She knows who we are. Her putties saw us at the caves getting the gems."

"Not necessarily." Billy replied, adjusting his glasses. "It's only our speculation that she's identified us as the Power Rangers. She more than likely would have taken the opportunity to attack our families if that were the situation."

"Billy's right. If she knew you two were Rangers, she would have gone after you at Tommy's house before you went to the caves. I think she doesn't know who we are exactly. She just knows that there are some Rangers back in the saddle. You two already have been to the hotel. They know that you are from out of town and just looking for a place to stay. It will be a good chance to go in under cover and see what's going on. We need eyes in the top floor." Jason said. "What do you say?"

"It's worth a shot." Tommy said, glancing at me. "We can say that we decided to stay in town longer." I nodded.

"We should check in at separate times though. If they see us together, they might think something is up."

"Right. I'll call now and make myself reservations for tonight." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and walked towards the hallway. I pulled my cell out, bringing up the hotel booking application I had used to book the hotel the first time I was there.

"My poor credit card."


	20. Chapter 20

"Good evening, Miss Hart! So glad to see you again so soon." The perky blonde at the front desk of the hotel said as I walked towards her. I gave her a bright smile, pulling the almost empty suitcase behind me. Mine had been left behind at Tommy's house when we had teleported here, so Trini lent me one to borrow that was similar to mine. I didn't pack anything in it as I didn't have plans on staying here long. I came to a stop by the front desk and stood the suitcase straight up. Inside of it, Billy had placed a similar scanning device like the one he had installed on the pterodactyl.

"Thank you. I'm glad you guys could squeeze me in on such short notice. I missed my plane this morning and the closest one I could book isn't for another two days." I said, trying to act flustered as I pulled my ID and credit card out of my wallet.

"With the reunion over, we had a block of rooms open up. I hope you don't mind being on the top floor." She said, typing my information on the computer.

"Oh, that's fine. As long as there's a bed and free booze at dinner, I'm golden." We both chuckled as she slid a hotel key card towards me.

"I don't blame you. I have you on the sixth floor in room 6305 for two nights. You'll take the elevator up to the sixth floor and then take a right once you step off. It's the last room in the hallway. I upgraded you to a bigger room for no charge since you stayed with us before."

"Beautiful! Thank you so much." Bending over, I grabbed the handle of my bag and turned to head to the elevator. Walking towards it, I noticed that there were no people mingling in the lobby like there had been when Tommy and I had checked out. They had moved everything back to the bar room I assumed, the repairs from the "earthquake" complete. I pressed the up button on the elevator, waiting for the gold doors to open. They did after a moment or so, revealing no one in the lift. I climbed up, pressing the number 6 on the panel. Next to it, there was a seven button. I tried to press it but it didn't move or light up. Next to the button was a slot for a key. It was operated by the key like the use in casinos, I thought to myself as the elevator rose floor by floor. It was probably to prevent guests from walking into Rosita's lair.

The doors opened on the sixth floor and I stepped off, taking a right like the woman at the desk had said. It was a long corridor with gold and maroon colored carpet and gold painted walls. Each door I passed was painted white, making everything pop brighter when you look at it. My room was the tenth door down, exactly at the end of the hall like she had said. I slid the card key into the slot and it unlocked, the door swinging up. I entered, shutting and locking the door behind me as I did. I lifted the suitcase off the floor and set it on the bed. The room was beautifully decorated in hues of gold, red and blacks. The walls were dressed in blood red drapes, gold accents running through it. The carpet with a beige color but the bed was the best feature of the room. It was a California king, wrapped in black silk sheets and a black comforter. The pillows were black as well, making it seem as if there was a void of anything there rather than a bed.

"How the hell do you find it at night?" I asked no one, pulling the sleeve of my grey sweat shirt up. I wore it to cover my communicator, not wanting to take the thing off just in case something happened. I pressed the button on the side of it. "Guys, I'm all check in and in my room. Should I set up the radar?" I asked. There was a blast of static before Jason's voice came through.

"Yeah. Make sure you set it somewhere out of site. We don't need a maid finding it on accident somewhere." He replied.

"Gotcha." I unzipped the suitcase and pulled out the triangle shaped contraption. It looked like a small pyramid, green in color with a small blue light blinking on the very top of the tip. Glancing around, my eyes landed on a computer chair in the corner of the room that was tucked into the desk. Walking over, I moved the chair and secured the radar on the far right corner of the underside of the desk. "It's in place." I said, stepping back. "Can you read anything?"

"We're picking up the signal." Jason replied. "Tommy is on his way to check in shortly. Just hang tight until he gets there. Stay in your room and don't make yourself known." I rolled my eyes at Jason's bossy nature. I'm not sure how Trini puts up with it but then again, he's scared of her more than anything. Sighing, I sat on the edge of the bed. As much as I didn't like the fact evil was all around me, the sitting and waiting part was the worst of it. I at least had an idea of what I should be doing while fighting. Waiting was for the birds. Looking to my left, I saw that the bathroom door was open. Standing, I walked over and flicked the light on. My eyes were met with a white marble and gold plated bathroom. Everything was marble from the sink to the floor to the bathtub. Gold was painted on the mirrors, the toilet seat and the edge of the claw foot tub. I looked at the tub and smiled. It had been a while since I had soaked in a nice bath. I also had some time to kill to wait for Tommy to get to the hotel.

Walking over, I turned the hot water on and adjusted it to the right temperature. Plugging the tub, I pulled my clothes off as it filled. There was bubble bath in a small bottle on the sink and I squirted some into the water by the stream. Bubbles began to fill the surface of the water, steam rising. Stepping into the water was like stepping into a slice of heaven. I slid down until I was surrounded by hot water and bubbles, kicking the water off when it was at just the right level. Leaning my head back, I sighed with content. This was nice. It had been a long time since I had relaxed like this. It was crazy to think I was sitting in a bathtub in a hotel owned by Rita and Zedd's offspring but at the moment, I could care less. The hot water felt amazing on my back and it took everything in me to not fall asleep. This was one of the draw backs of being a Power Ranger. You ache all over the place and no matter how much you try, your sleep schedule is never the same during your time on the team. Granted, my injury added to the soreness I was feeling, and I hadn't fought much except for the putties in the caves but it still took a toll on my body. My accident the other night didn't help matter either.

I opened my eyes, frowning. What if Tommy was right to be concerned about me? I came very close to dying in my zord. If he hadn't broken the glass when he did, I would be sleeping with the fishes right now rather than laying in a hot bath. Just kicking the glass had caused pain in my back. What would happen to me in a battle? What if I got hit just right there and I end up unable to walk? Was I really willing to risk that? Of course, I was. No matter how bad I end up having it, the fate of the world and my friends was way more important to me than my own health. Ending up paralyzed would be okay with me if it meant that all of my friends were safe from harm and the rest of the world was out of peril for once. I knew where Tommy was coming from though. I would have reacted the same way if it had been him. He had risked his life so many times before to try and save not only Angel Grove but also me. How could I expect him not to react the way he did?

I sat in the tub for about half hour until the water began to cool. Pulling myself out from its depths, I wrapped a fluffy white towel around me and dried off. I redressed in my clothes and fingered combed my hair the best I could. My communicator beeped from my wrist, causing me to bring it towards my face. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Kim, I'm in the hotel. Which room are you in?" Tommy's voice said.

"6305. It's the very last room on the top floor." I replied, tossing my used towels on the counter in the bathroom.

"I'm on my way up." He said. A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I opened it quickly, letting Tommy slip in before anyone saw him in the hallway. "Hey, beautiful." He whispered, kissing the top of my head as he passed.

"Hey. Did you see anything?"

"No. Don't you find it odd that they have no cameras anywhere in this place?" He asked. I thought for a moment, realizing he was right. I hadn't seen any cameras the entire time I had been here.

"You're right. There aren't any. How is she keeping tabs on this place then?" Shrugging, he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not sure. We need to be careful while we are here. If we don't know how she is monitoring the hotel, we don't know what she can and can't see." He stretched out his long legs in front of him, his dark blue jeans coming unwrinkled as he did.

"I suppose at this point, they just assume we are secret lovers meeting up for a rendezvous." I joked, smirking at him. His cheeks blushed slightly, and he cleared his throat.

"And you call me the ass." He muttered. Sighing, he stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. "What should we do until we have the okay to search the next floor?"

"Oh…I have an idea."


	21. Chapter 21

Tommy and I spent the next few hours rolling between the black silk sheets on the bed. We made sure that no one at the Command Center could hear us through the radar first before starting our heated session. It was an amazing feeling, laying with Tommy again. His strong arms held me close but in a gentle way that made me feel like we hadn't lost any time at all. As we laid there, I knew that he was the person I was meant to be with. Everything felt safe with him. He was the other part of my soul that I had been missing throughout those ten years apart. If it hadn't been for the fact a power-hungry monster was trying to take over the world, I would have sworn I had died and gone to heaven.

"Time to wake up, beautiful." He whispered in my ear, drawing me out of the light slumber I had drifted into. I moaned, rubbing my eyes as he nibbled my ear.

"I don't wanna." I mumbled, opening my eyes.

"I know but Billy sent me a message and said that the coast is clear. We need to figure out how to get to the seventh floor." He whispered, kissing my temple.

"Fine." I tossed the covers off of me and dragged myself out of the bed. Tommy stood up on his side, sliding his dark green boxers back on. I pulled my jeans and my t-shirt on, tossing my hoodie on. He was zipping up his jeans as he walked around the bed, his bare chest looking fantastic in the dim light of the hotel room. Reaching over, I tossed him his shirt. "Put that on or else we aren't getting anywhere." I said, smirking at him. He chuckled, pulling the green t-shirt on over his head. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"Billy said the reading of the building showed there was an entrance near your room. There doesn't seem to be anything around it on the seventh floor. I think if we head in that way, we will get out of view the quickest."

"Sounds good." I replied, shoving my feet into my sneakers. My morpher was tucked into the back of my jeans, out of sight from anyone. I saw the glint of his in the same spot as well. Tommy headed towards my door and opened it a crack. Peeking out, he looked up the hall to see if anyone was out there. He motioned to follow him as he darted out of the door and to the left. Adjacent from my door was a fire exit door that led to a stair case. He shoved it open quietly and we walked through, closing it behind me quickly. We found ourselves in a poorly lit staircase. The steps were made from concrete and red metal railings were building right into them. The stairs traveled for what felt like forever down to the first floor. Above, they only went up one flight.

"Come on." He whispered, taking my hand. We jogged up the stairs and found ourselves outside of a massive red metal door. It had no handle or knob on it and it stood taller than Tommy. Reaching out, Tommy touched the metal. The door creaked open, swinging into the room behind it. He motioned me to be quiet, a small beam of light shining from the crack. He slipped in first, still holding my hand. I followed.

The first thing I noticed was that it was considerably colder in here than it was in the stairwell. I could see my breath as a shiver ran down my spine. Around us, I saw we were in a large room. There was no real light but here were several floating globes above our heads, giving off a soft glow. Inside them, I could see streaks of electricity. The floor was covered in a light layer of fog, drifting from what seemed to be nowhere. Around the room, there were large crates set up here and there. Weird writing was on the side of them, a language I couldn't make out. Tommy squeezed my hand tightly, casting a glance over at me. "It's just like the dark dimension." He whispered.

"Look at the source." I replied. We continued walking, heading deeper into the room. There didn't seem to be anyone in here and it looked as if the room went on for the whole length of the floor. Along the left wall, there were four more large metal doors. Each was a different color. The first one was dark blue, the second a dark purple, the third deep red and the final was bronze. Each was as massive as the one that led in here and had no door handles on them. I pulled my cell phone out and took a picture of everything as we walked. The radar could map out the floor, but it couldn't take images like a camera walking around could.

At the far end of the enormous room, there was a golden chair set up. I realized it was a throne as we approached. It was a large size chair made from solid gold. It appeared as if it had been made from melting wax that hardened into metal. Light shimmered off of it from the floating orbs, making it shine. Next to it, there was a pedestal made from the same material. It stood about five feet in the air, another orb was perched on top of it. This was a great deal smaller than the other ones, about the size of a softball. Inside, it glowed with a brilliant emerald green hue. It was like green colored lightning in a giant glass marble. It was beautiful, and the light seemed to swirl around with no real pattern to it.

"That was Rita's throne." Tommy whispered, his jaw hardening when he spoke. "It was made out of the same type of gold as - AHHH!" Tommy suddenly gasped and let out a painful cry as he gripped his head.

"Tommy! What's wrong?" I asked. He didn't answer as he doubled over in pain. Quickly, I brought my communicator up to my mouth. "Alpha! Tommy and I need to be teleported!" I said. Static answered me, telling me that my message hadn't gone through. Tommy howled in pain, falling to the floor. "Tommy!" I bent down, trying to see what was happening. He writhed in pain, struggling to cover his head. As he did so, the back of his shirt rose, revealing his morpher. His green dino gem was glowing bright from the center of his morpher. Looking up, I saw that the green orb was also growing brighter now. "We need to get you out of here." I said, trying to pull him to his feet. I couldn't lift him though and he continued to buck his entire body in pain. And then suddenly, he disappeared.

It was as if I had blinked and Tommy vanished. Jumping to my feet, I took a fight stance before looking around. He was nowhere to be found and his cries of pain were gone too. Where could he have gone? Did Alpha hear me and teleport Tommy out? There was no flash of green though and he would have taken me as well. Reaching behind my back, I grabbed for my morpher but found it was gone. Frantically, I searched the floor around my feet where I had knelt to help Tommy. It wasn't there either. Had I dropped it on the way here? I knew I had picked it up from the hotel room before heading to explore the seventh floor. Where was it now?

"Looking for something?" Tommy's voice said behind me, starling me. I spun on my heel to look at him. A feeling of relief coursed through me when I saw it was him. He was standing about four feet away from me, his back to the red door we had come in through. In his out stretched hand was my morpher.

"I thought I had lost it." I said, stepping towards him. I went to grab it, but he pulled his arm back, keeping it out of my reach. "Tommy, this isn't the time to play keep away."

"Oh, I think it's the perfect time to play a game." He replied, smirking at me. I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about? What happened? You were in pain."

"I was just shown the light, that's all." He said, tossing my morpher in the air and catching it like it was a baseball. He paced back and forth slightly, the sound of his heels on his boots echoed off the walls around us. "What's the matter, Kimmie? Did I worry you?" He asked, stopping closer to me. "As I recall, it was one of your more annoying traits."

"Tommy-."

"Shut up." He said, cutting me off. He moved in closed, standing next to me so our shoulders were lined up. "I don't want to hear what you have to say after what you did to me. You abandoned me. You abandoned everyone. No wonder it took you so long to show your face again in this town. I'd be ashamed too if I was out whoring it up while my boyfriend was 3,000 miles away." He said in a sharp tone, venom dripping from every word.

"We can talk about this later. It's not the time or place. We have to get out of here before someone catches us. I can't get ahold of anyone on the communicators." I said, trying to not let his words affect me. A sickening feeling was beginning to form in the pit of my stomach.

"It's because of the jamming radar Rosita has installed around the hotel. She knew that we'd try to break in here and she wanted to make sure that her trap worked." He responded, beginning to walk circles around me.

"Trap? What trap?" The gut wrenching feeling started to rise into my chest as I watched him circle me like a cat with a trapped mouse.

"I remember you being a whole lot smarter when we were kids. I guess all that time fucking up your life in Florida killed that for you." He said, sighing.

"Quit fooling around! We have to get out of here before she knows we're here." I said, taking a step towards the door. He appeared in front of me, almost as if he had teleported. I gasped, surprised by his speed.

"Now, Kim, I think we both know I can't let you leave. My new empress wouldn't like that much." Tommy smirked down at me as his eyes flashed with a green glow. It was something I hadn't seen them do in almost twenty years. Not since when I first met Tommy.

When he was the evil Green Ranger.


	22. Chapter 22

"What's the matter, Kim? You look like you've seen a ghost." Tommy asked, stepping closer to me. I stepped back, trying to keep a good distance between us.

"Whatever spell she has you under, we can break. This isn't you. You know that, Tommy." I pleaded, hoping to see him in there somewhere. "We did it before and we can do it again." He let out a dark laugh, shaking his head.

"You still don't get it, do you? This isn't some spell that can be broken. No green candle to stop. Not even a Sword of Darkness to destroy. Empress Rosita has just tapped into the side of me that I've been fighting to suppress all this time. Did it ever occur to you that I enjoyed serving Empress Rita? It was better than serving with you and the other Power Pussies."

"No. Whatever you are feeling now isn't real. It's whatever she wants you to feel. Give me my morpher and we can get you back to the Command Center to stop her. Let me help you." He leaned in close to me, gripping my chin with his free hand.

"I don't need your help. I got all I ever wanted out of you before we came up here. I have to say, Kim. You're a lot better fuck now than you were when we were kids. I guess years of practice will do that for you."

"Fuck you." I whispered, shoving him off of me. He laughed, allowing himself to stumble back a few steps.

"Tell you what. You want your morpher back so bad, come and get it. If you can get it from me, I'll let you leave."

"I don't want to fight you." I replied, sweat forming in my palms. It had been a long time since I had fought against Tommy. We used to spar when we were on the same team, him trying to teach me better moves to help me in battle. We both knew he was a far more superior fighter than I was. There was no way I could defeat him in one on one combat. Where he had trained for years in martial arts, I only had the knowledge I had learned from being on the Power Rangers which was mainly what him and Jason had taught me along the way.

"No. I would think you are better off in a position on your back, correct?" He said, shrugging his shoulders. Anger rippled throughout me and I found myself raising my hand to strike him. I made contact with his face, a loud slap echoing around us. He let out a loud laugh, rubbing his cheek where I had made contact. "Oh, would you look at that! Seems like I finally struck a nerve."

"Just shut up and fight." I said, taking a fighting stance. I raised my hands to protect my face, saying a quick prayer in my head that I would stand a chance.

"Thought you'd never ask." He said, quickly moving his leg in an attempt to sweep my legs out from under me. I jumped, avoiding them and kicked my right leg forward. It made contact with his sternum, sending him backwards. He grabbed ahold of my ankle, tossing me backwards. I turned it into a flip, pushing off the ground with my hands as my feet soared over the rest of my body. I landed, a tingling sensation in my back and legs.

Tommy quickly approached me again, swinging his arm to punch me. I dodged it, blocking it with my hands. He came from the other side, getting blocked again. I shoved my palm forward, striking him in the chin. His head jerked back, and he swore under his breath. I took the chance to flip forward and kick him in the stomach with both my legs. The force of the kick slammed him into the wall behind him, my morpher falling from his hands. I dove for it, reaching my arms out to grab it as I did. My fingers grazed it as I landed but Tommy kicked it out of my reach. Rolling on my back, I looked up in time to see him raise his foot. He brought it down to kick me in the stomach, but I rolled out of the way before he connected.

Jumping through the air, Tommy landed so that his feet were on either side of my head. He bent to punch me, but I tucked my head between his legs, tossing myself to my feet with a small leap. Spinning on his heel, he kicked. His foot connected to my ribs, causing me to gasp in pain. I shuffled backwards, avoiding another kick. He landed another though, this time kicking me behind my right knee. It was enough of an impact to make me buckle. He took the advantage, sweeping my feet out from under me with a quick flick of his leg. I landed hard on my back, a sharp pain travelling up my entire spine. I let out a cry of pain as my toes went numb for a moment. I rolled over on my stomach, seeing the glint of my morpher a few feet away. I clawed, trying to make my way towards it. A foot settled on the middle of my back, stopping me from moving.

"Aw. You can't give up that easy yet, Pink Ranger. I know you're old now, but I thought you'd be more of a challenge than that." Tommy said. "Course, it could be your back causing you an issue, right?" He dug his heel into the middle of my spine, right where my pins and rods were. Pain radiated throughout my body except for my feet that tingled til they were numb. I cried out in my pain, trying my best to move away from him. Tears sprung to my eyes as he applied more pressure. I felt pops in my back, the air escaping from the weight. "I should just do you a favor and just break your back. It's better than ending up dead like the rest of your friends."

"Tommy, please." I whimpered, not caring how desperate I sounded. "Please. It's me. Kimberly. Please don't do this."

"Pathetic." He sneered. He suddenly let out a sharp inhale and his foot left my back. Rolling, I saw he was holding his head again. "Kim...run." He said through gritted teeth, glancing at me. Pushing myself up on all fours, I grabbed my morpher. Turning back, I saw he was still gripping his head.

"Come with me. I can help you." I said, kneeling in front of me.

"I can't...too strong...you have to go…tell them…Gol…Gol…" He struggled to say. Sweat poured down his face as it paled slightly.

"Tommy, I can't leave without you."

"Go!" Reaching out, he grabbed my communicator. He pressed the button on the side of it, teleporting me out of the room.

"Tommy!" I cried, feeling the familiar pull as I appeared in the middle of the Command Center. Trini, Aisha, Billy and Jason were standing by the viewing globe, all four surprised to see me kneeling on the floor. Alpha waddled towards me.

"Kimberly! Are you okay?"

"Alpha, you have to teleport Tommy here!" I said, grabbing his metal hands. "Hurry! He's in danger."

"Right away!" Alpha replied, scurrying as fast as he could over to the control panel. Trini knelt down next to me, Aisha by her side.

"Kim, what happened? You're bleeding! We've been trying to contact you, but the communicators have been jammed." She said. I shook my head, feeling my hands tremble.

"I don't know. We were checking out the top level of the hotel and Tommy just started screaming. And-and-and then he was acting like he did when he was under Rita's spell." I said, tears welling in my eyes.

"He was evil?" Jason asked, limping towards us. "How? We broke the spell."

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. "He needs our help."

"Alpha?" Jason asked, looking over at the robot. Alpha shook his head, pressing a few more buttons.

"I can't get through to Tommy to teleport him. Something is jamming the signal. I'll keep trying." He replied. Trini and Aisha helped me to my feet. "His communicator has been disabled. I can't reach him or teleport him."

"What does this mean?" Aisha asked, shooting me a worried glance.

"It means," Jason said, frowning. "Tommy is our enemy again."


	23. Chapter 23

**Evil Green Ranger again? Say it isn't so!**

 **Oh but it is!**

 **Thank you everyone who has been reading, reviewing and putting me in their favorites. I've been enjoying writing this and think I may try more once this is over with.**

 **Just wanted to let you guys know that I have only ever seen MMPR. I've recently been re-watching them as I have no life so if there is something that doesn't match the show, it's because of that. And for the record, I am a Tommy/Kat hater. The two of them together makes my skin crawl for some reason. The same goes with Kim/Jason. Though, I do love the two of them having a close friendship. I try my best to not bash Kat in this though. :)**

 **As always, I don't own Power Rangers or whatever music these guys listen to.**

 **Enjoy!**

Once again, I found myself connected to the monitors in the medical bay. I had no real serious injuries though, just a small cut on the forehead and bruised ribs. Billy had been more concerned about the stress Tommy had caused on my spine than anything else. He did a bio-scan to be sure. It showed that my back was fine for the most part aside from my previous injury. I didn't need to be placed in the chamber for my injuries thankfully.

While Billy completed his exam of me, I filled everyone in on what had happened after Tommy arrived at the hotel. I skipped the portion of us being alone in the room, not wanting them to know we were involved again. But I did tell them about the whole floor looking like the dark dimension, the weird fog and the unusual throne. I also showed them the pictures I had taken, Billy uploading them into the computer system. He said from them, he could make a complete map of the area for us to use. Then they asked about Tommy changing.

I couldn't explain it as painfully as it felt to think about. Tommy had been right next to me and then all of a sudden, he was different. I couldn't quite figure out how he moved so quickly. It was like watching television and the camera angle changes too fast. How could that be possible? Tommy's harsh words rattled in my mind as I relived what happened with everyone. He had been so cruel. I thought about what he had said before. Being under the spell brought out real emotions and thoughts he was having. Could he be actually feeling this way underneath it all? What was this spell? Rosita had come nowhere close to us when we obtained the dino gems. How was she controlling Tommy now? Everything Rita had used before had been destroyed or taken care of to prevent this from happening again. Now here we are, twenty years later. A horrible gut-wrenching feeling was present in the pit of my stomach and it made me ill to think about him there, under her control.

While I told everyone about what happened, Alpha and Zordon did their best to locate Tommy. From what they could tell, he wasn't at the hotel any more. His scans were negative in the building and they could not track his communicator since it had been disabled. Alpha was monitoring the Dragonzord to ensure it hasn't moved and placed a 24/7 outreach radar in case Tommy came back online. Even though Aisha and Trini tried their best to make me try to be optimistic, I had little faith that Alpha was going to find Tommy. We had little to go on in regards with Rosita but Tommy himself had said it was a trap. She knew we were coming and she had her sights set on Tommy all along. That's why she didn't fight to have him and me check in again. She needed us in the building to make her plan work. We had walked right into it without even blinking.

"So, Tommy is under a spell again?" Zack asked, leaning against the wall in the medical bay. I was sitting on the edge of the middle bed, everyone grouped around me. I shrugged, feeling exhausted.

"I'm not sure. It was like he was getting attacked from the inside out. He kept holding his head and screaming." I said, looking at my lap. Rocky casted a glance at Jason who nodded.

"We will figure out how to get Tommy back but in the meantime, we need a new strategy. Tommy knew about our plans and he's more than likely told Rosita all about it. We'll need a new plan to take care of her. If we take her out, we should break any hold she has on Tommy." Jason said. The group collectively nodded.

"With Tommy on her side, she'll have a skilled fighter and a Power Ranger. There's no telling what she will use him for. And now she knows that the whole team is here." Rocky said.

"Affirmative." Billy said, walking over from his place by the computer. "Kim is in full health now. We will all be able to fight now that the Zords are acting a full capacity."

"Guys, I think speed is our best bet. There's no telling what could happen now." Aisha expressed with a solemn tone in her voice.

"We can't just jump into this though." Zack replied. "We need to come up with a plan. Any ideas?"

"Well, what happened last time Tommy was under someone else's control?" Rocky asked. I sighed.

"He came to the Command Center and tried to kill Zordon." I whispered. "And then he came after the rest of us." Trini gave me a sympathetic smile, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll get him back, Kim. Tommy beat this before and he can do this again. We'll help him like we did before."

"Trini's right." Jason said, smiling at me with a reassuring nod. "He's a pain in the ass anyway. No way Rosita is going to want to deal with him that long for sure." He turned to the rest of the group. "I think our best move right now is to try and draw Rosita out. We'll have some of us go to the hotel and try to convince her to fight. Then we can lead her out in this direction and finish her."

"Sounds like a plan." Rocky replied, nodding.

"Rocky, you, Aisha and Zach will head down to the hotel. Stick to the roof because we know that's where her censors are. You're bound to make someone come out. Once you do, head out to the desert. Kim and Billy will meet you there with the Zords and the Power Blaster."

"Okay." The three assigned Rangers nodded before teleporting out of the room. Jason faced Trini, Billy and me.

"You okay to fight, Kim?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"I'm going to need you to keep your head in the game. I know you're worried about Tommy but we have all of angel Grove to think about right now. I promise once we stop Rosita, we will get him back." I nodded, frowning. I couldn't believe I was reliving this again. It was like twenty years hadn't passed at all.

"I'll energizing the Zords." Billy said before walking out of the medical bay. Once the door was closed, Jason sighed.

"I hate this. I hated when Tommy was under Rita's spell. He was one of the worst enemies we fought." He said.

"That he was. We know how he fights though. It's the same Tommy we all know and love. We just need to find a way to break this spell." Trini replied, rubbing Jason's back.

"I can't help but feel he was trying to tell me something before he teleported me back to the Command Center." I said, looking up at them both. "For a brief moment, he was able to break out of the spell when he was about to snap me in half. He kept saying to tell someone something but he couldn't get it out."

"What did he say?" Jason asked, seeming concerned.

"'Tell them Gol?'" I replied, frowning. "I have no clue what that could mean though."


	24. Chapter 24

Billy and I morphed into our uniforms once I joined him in the hangar. He had all the Zords linked to the Command Center, allowing Alpha to control them while we manned ours. It felt funny being back in the pterodactyl after my accident the other night. I didn't let it bother me as I brought her to life, hovering in the hanger while I waited for Billy's signal he was ready. The blue metal triceratops bolted out of the hanger and I followed, the remaining Zords thundering behind me. I had always thought we were quite a sight when we drove our Zords out into the open. The city of Angel Grove was probably used to this by now but anyone who wasn't from here would think it was odd to see giant robots speeding through the sand and heat that separated the Command Center from civilization.

"Kim, our coordinates are approaching." Billy's voice said in my ear piece.

"Just tell me when, Billy." I replied, pressing a few buttons on the console in front of me. In the distance, I could see the faint outline of Angel Grove, the setting sun making it look like a golden city rather than just a bustling town. Billy pulled to a stop, the other Zords joining him. They all formed a line, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other. Billy was in the middle, the yellow saber tooth tiger and the black steel mastodon on his left and the red tyrannosaurs rex on his right. I hovered to the right of the T-Rex, watching the horizon for any signs of Aisha, Rocky and Zack.

"Do you see anything?" I asked, sitting back in my seat.

"Negative." Billy answered, sounding disappointed. "According to their bio-scans, they are approaching the area."

"Where though? I don't see anything." Off in the distance on the left, I saw dust rising into the air. Leaning forward, I squinted to see what it was. I could finally make out the outline of Jason's red truck. Behind it, there was a large armored vehicle following them. Something was also flying in the air above the vehicles. As they grew closer, I could see Zack on the back of the truck. Aisha was sitting in the passenger seat and Rocky was driving like he stole it, speeding as fast as he could towards us. The armored vehicle was a large van type thing, gold and silver steel wrapped around the outside of it. The size of it almost matched that of the mastodon and it seemed to move with ease. I couldn't see inside of it but could tell it wasn't a friendly person behind the wheel. My eyes drifted above the cars to see what was flying above them. I let out a gasp when I realized what or rather who it was. It now made sense what Tommy was trying to tell me back on the Seventh Floor.

"Billy, it's Goldar!" I exclaimed, grimacing at the sight. He was the same ugly and gruesome looking gorilla creature I remembered. His facial features were that of a wolf mixed with an ape, his black hair grayer now. His was dressed in thick gold-plated armor and a matching sword was clutched in his hand as his massive wings flapped towards us.

"Kim, what did you say?" Jason's voice said. Him, Trini and Alpha were listening to our communications at the Command Center.

"Goldar is flying straight towards us." I said, flipping on the switch for the radar that was still connected to my zord. Jason swore under his breath.

"I thought that ugly son of a bitch was dead!" He said.

"Affirmative. He should have been deceased when Zordon's energy was released. It appears his life was reinstituted with everything else when Zordon returned." Billy's voice chimed in.

"Guys! We have some news!" Zack's voice yelled into the communicator. You could hear the rumbling of the engines behind him as he spoke.

"Is it ugly and flying above your head?" I asked.

"Yeah. He sprung out when we were at the hotel. Thought he was dead!"

"We all did." Jason replied, the communicators crackling. Rocky pulled Jason's truck to a stop next to the Zords, the three of them hopping out once it was stopped. They climbed into the mechanic animals, powering them up. Alpha dropped his control on them when they were inside. The large armored vehicle pulled a stop about thirty yards away from us. Goldar stopped as well, landing on top of the large contraption.

"Rangers! You might as well give up now. There is no way you can defeat Empress Rosita and her army." Goldar called, his voice booming out in a way that made my skin crawl.

"Great. She has an army?" Rocky asked through the radios.

"Not that we're aware of. We know she has putties though. It seems they are the same ones her parents used. They must have been in supply after the two were purified." Trini spoke.

"We aren't afraid of you, Goldar. We just want what's best for planet Earth. Give up now and we will see to it you end up in a nice zoo." Rocky called out through the speakers on his T-Rex zord. I heard Jason sigh on his and Trini's end. I knew he would rather be out here fighting rather than at the Command Center. His retorts were always funnier than Rocky's as well.

"Nonsense! The only ones surrendering will be you, Power Rangers!" Goldar replied. He bowed his head, moving to the side as a piece of steel rose from the vehicle he stood on. I realized it was a door opening as a person climbed out of the armored truck. They were dressed in gold plated armor, tightly wrapped around their body. Long black braided hair ran behind their back and on their face was half of a mask, resembling that of Lord Zedd. Rosita smiled up at the Zords, a tall and skinny staff in her hands.

"Is that her?" Aisha asked.

"Affirmative." Billy replied. "She possess Rita's staff as well."

"Perfect." I muttered. I glanced around, looking for any sign of Tommy. Another person emerged from the door behind Rosita. I grimaced when I saw them. It wasn't a person. More like a gross giant. I needed to blink a few times to make sure it wasn't Zedd himself. The ugly figure was a dark purple color, his skin rippling under steel armor that resembled that of a metal exoskeleton. The steel travelled up his body to a visor that wrapped all around his head. Where eyes should have been was red glass, reflecting the sun above all of us.

"Who is that guy?" Aisha asked.

"No idea. He popped up at the hotel as well." Rocky replied. "They called him Strasser I'm thinking."

"He looks like Zedd on a bad day." Zack said.

"Power Rangers, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Rosita, daughter of Lord Zita and Empress Rita. You shall call me Empress Rosita as I take claim of the throne left behind by my royal parents." Rosita called, surprising me with how loud her voice was. I could barely believe she was the same woman from the hotel who was pouring me wine just days before this. "Please let me introduce you to my faithful right hand servant, Count Strasser. He is leading my army against you in this fight. This will be your one and only chance to step down before me. After today, your deaths will be your only surrender."

"Well, she's as dramatic as Zedd and Rita." I said, holding the pterodactyl steady in the air.

"What's our next move?" Zack asked.

"Form the Megazord and show her we aren't playing around." Jason responded.

"We need Megazord power now!" We all exclaimed, shifting our Zords. The five of them instantly began to change. Billy and Aisha's Zords folding, forming into legs. Zack's mastodon split in half, forming the arms and the beginning of the chest plate. Each locked into place around Rocky's Zord, forming the shape of the Megazord. The pterodactyl moved, tilting back as the wings folded in. My chair slid backwards as we attached, stopping in the main control room of the Megazord. Rocky was sitting in the middle, looking out the window at our enemies below. Billy was at his right, manning the right arm. Aisha sat behind the two of them, her duty to run the weapons on that side of the Megazord. On Rocky's left was Zack. He controlled the left side of the Zord. My seat locked into place behind them, placing me in front of the controls for the left side of weapons. They were controls I hadn't used in a long time, but it was all coming back to me as I locked in.

"Suit yourself, rangers." Rosita called, turning to Goldar. She raised her staff and pointed at him. His wings spread, and he flew into the air, his body beginning to grow at an accelerated speed. He grew and grew until he stood the same height as at Megazord, his gold armor shining in the sunlight. He was even uglier now as I could make out his features. Age had not done him well. His hair was greying around his face and his red beady eyes seemed to sag slightly. Goldar pulled his long sword from his belt and ran forward, charging us.

"Power Sword!" Rocky called. Above us, the Power Sword materialized in the sky. Zack raised the arm of the Zord and caught it, everyone bringing the Megazord into a defensive stance. Goldar swung his sword, attempting to bring it down right across the chest of the giant mech. Zack deflected it, the swords colliding in a shower of sparks and a loud thundering sound. Pushing forward, we knocked Goldar back a few steps and swung the Power Sword. He blocked the attack, punching the chest plate with his other hand. The Zord stumbled a few yards backwards until Zack and Billy were able to stabilize it.

"Rangers, you think after all this time you can still fight me?" Goldar asked, swinging his sword again. It connected this time, scrapping against the left arm. There was a terrible crunch sound as it sliced through some of the protective steel of the mastodon. Zack groaned.

"I just waxed her!" He exclaimed. "Goldar, your ass is mine." Pulling the sword back, Zack ran forward and swiped the Power Sword with a quick jab. It hit Goldar in his lower midriff, a painful cry coming from him as he tried to move out of the way. Blood squirted from the small wound, tinting the Power Sword red. Rocky and Billy took the advantage to shove Goldar. He fell back, landing on his behind. His sword clattered loudly to the ground, making the Earth shake for miles. The talons on his feet dug into the ground as he pulled himself back to his feet.

"Pathetic." He called out, spitting blood from his mouth. He let out an enraged holler before running for us again. Aisha shifted next to me, pulling down the levers for the missiles. They shot from the right side of the Megazord, striking Goldar in the chest. He didn't stop though, his charge still coming.

"Shit! Brace for impact!" Rocky cried. Zack raised the sword while he locked his leg in place. Billy did the same, holding the other arm up to steady us for the hit. Reaching out, I grabbed onto the walls, waiting for him to crash into us. I could hear the sound of the metal hit metal before the impact came. The entire Megazord was sent flying backwards, the five of us bouncing around the cockpit like pinballs. Goldar held on to us as the Zords fell backwards. Jumping on top of the mech, he brought down the hilt to his sword. It splintered the glass in the cockpit, alarms echoing around us.

"Hold on!" Billy said, moving his controls. I watched as his side of the body moved, rolling us and Goldar to the left. It shook Goldar off of us.

"I got this." I said, slamming my hand on the red button by my left knee. Power boosters lit up from behind the left arms, giving it more power as Zack swung. It connected to Goldar's chin, sending him rolling back a few more times from the force of the punch. Zack and Billy pulled us back to standing, Goldar still laying on the ground. He slowly moved, trying to pull himself up. He buckled back to his knees though, bracing himself on his sword. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath.

"Goldar, I believe it's time to let them play with their friend." Rosita said, raising her staff. Goldar shrank quickly, two putties running over to assist him. Next to Rosita, a green light blurred, and Tommy appeared.

"Tommy!" I called, shoving my head between Rocky and Zack. He stood next to Rosita, dressed in dark green robes that travelled down to his feet. He cracked his knuckles before kneeling before her. My stomach flopped when I saw it.

"My Green Ranger, take care of your little friends."

"If it will please you, my majesty." Tommy replied, standing. He glared up at us, a creepy smirk on his face. Reaching behind him, he pulled out his morpher. "Dragonzord!" With a flash of green light, he morphed into his green uniform. In his right hand, he held the Dragon Dagger.

"Here it comes." Zack said, glancing at me. I couldn't see his face through his helmet, but I knew what he was trying to say. Tommy brought the dagger to his helmet and began playing the familiar tune. It blasted loudly throughout the desert canyon as the ground trembled under us.

"He's calling the Dragonzord. We need to have all systems prepared and weapons online." Billy said, pushing all the buttons on the panel in front of him. We followed his role, turning everything on and drawing power from every source on board. In the distance, I could faintly make out the outline of something coming in our direction. I didn't need to see it to know what it was.

"His most dangerous attack is the tail. He also has missiles in his chest plate. We need to avoid those." Zack said, leaning forward in his chair. The Dragonzord thundered passed Angel Grove, taking large foot steps towards us. As it neared, it's footsteps grew louder. Sweat formed on my brow as the green, black and silver steel machine stopped next to Tommy who jumped into the air. He landed on the head of the Dragonzord before disappearing inside.

"Zack, Billy and Kim, I think you three should take the lead on this one. You have experience fighting that thing." Rocky said, nodding towards Zack.

"Right." Zack replied. He took a deep breath before grabbing ahold of his controls. "Aim everything we have towards the middle of the Zord. It's where the power source is. We take that out, it becomes inoperable, right Billy?"

"Affirmative." Billy responded, grabbing his controls. Aisha pushed the correct sequence of buttons on her side to reload the missiles and to prep them for battle again. Biting my lip, I did the same hoping it wouldn't come to this. The thought of shooting any kind of explosives at Tommy turned my stomach.

"I'm going to try talking to Tommy first." Rocky said. "If we can reason with him, we might avoid this all together." He reached up and turned on the speaker system that amplified his voice as he spoke into the microphone in front of him. "Tommy, we don't need to do this. You're better than that. Come on. It's us."

"The time for talk is over, Rangers. I'm going to destroy you all like I should have the first time. Starting with you, Red Ranger." The Dragonzord pointed at us as Tommy spoke. "The rest of you will shortly follow."

"It's no use. We're going to have to fight." Zack said. "Everyone get ready." There was a collective feeling of dread as we all gripped our controllers. Zack and Billy brought the Megazord forward as Rocky balanced it with his controls. The Dragonzord moved as well, making a beeline towards us. Zack raised the Power Sword, prepared to make a powerful swing. As he brought the sword down, the Dragonzord disappeared in thin air.

"What the hell?!" Rocky exclaimed, frantically looking around. "Where did he go? Can anyone see him?"

"Negative." Billy responding, checking the radar in front of him.

"This happened back on the Seventh Floor." I said. "Tommy just disappeared and then reappeared. Like it was some magic trick." The words no sooner left my mouth when a hit from behind sent the Megazord flying forward. Billy and Zack had little time to stop it, barely getting the arms out to catch us mid-fall. The sound of scrapping steel shot through me, causing me to grimace from the noise. I shifted in my chair, pulling the seat belt tighter around my waist. Something told me that it wasn't going to help much though.

"Push us back up!" Rocky bellowed, pulling hard on his controls. Slowly, the Megazord pushed back using its hydraulic system. It was on it's knees now, Rocky, Billy and Zack trying their best to bring it back to standing. The Dragonzord appeared in front of us, just feet away. Aisha let out a gasp of shock at it's sudden appearance. It was so close to us that we could look into the cockpit of the dragon shaped robotic fighting machine. Inside, I could see Tommy sitting at his control panel. Even though he had his helmet on, I knew he would have an evil smile on his face like he used to when he would attack us in high school.

"He's going to use the missiles!" Aisha cried, pointing at Tommy. We watched as he slammed his fist on a button in front of him. The sound of explosions filled the air as the five explosives in the chest of the Dragonzord launched forward. As they left the chest piece, the Dragonzord and Tommy vanished again.

"Brace yourselves!" Rocky yelled, grabbing on to the support beam above his head. Closing my eyes, I braced myself against the walls next to me. A sudden jerk of the Megazord sent everyone flying back into their seats. There were more exploding sounds as the missiles struck. The sound was almost deafening, the sound of steel breaking and bending as it disintegrated under the force of the weapons. The cockpit began to scream with warning sirens. Opening my eyes, I saw the danger censors were flashing red.

"All controls are down. We're losing power. The mid-section of the Megazord is gone." Billy said, looking at the computer next to him. "We need to evacuate immediately."

"Right." Rocky undid his seat belt and stood, turning his chair towards the back of the cockpit. I did the same, preparing to jump. Aisha let out a terrified scream, causing us all to look up. On the outside of the glass, Tommy was perched there. In his hand, he held his arm out reached and the Dragon dagger was clutched in his fingers. Pointing it right at Rocky, he pressed a button on the side of it. A beam of green light shot out of, crashing through the shatter proof glass. The beam struck Rocky in the right side of his body. He let out a loud cry of pain, collapsing to the ground.

"NO!" Aisha screamed, the air vibrating with a high-pitched volume as she did. Everyone covered their ears, Tommy included as her scream echoed through the air.

"Come on!" Zack said, scooping Rocky up with Billy's help. He opened the back of the Megazord and jumped out, teleporting half way to the ground. Aisha followed behind them quickly. Standing, I shifted towards the doorway. Looking back, I saw Tommy was still standing there just looking in my direction.

"Your time will come, Pink Ranger." He said before teleporting away.


	25. Chapter 25

Rocky was rushed to the medical bay and instantly submerged into the repair chamber. Billy did a bioscan of his injuries to see what damage he had received from what Tommy hit him with. Rocky was unconscious, his vitals seemingly steady though. Aisha sat by his side while he floated in the tube, hopefully healing from whatever it had been. While he healed, the others and I called our Zords back before Rosita could lay claim to them. Or more like what was left of them. The tyrannosaurus was mostly destroyed as well as my Zord. The sabre tooth tiger and the triceratops were still operable and the mastodon took very little damage. Billy and Trini didn't believe there was any use in trying to save the T-Rex. Most of the steel was gone from the blast and what was left was destroyed beyond recognition. This meant we were down a Zord and unable to form the Megazord without another one to replace it.

"Rangers, I am glad you are alright." Alpha said as Billy, Zack and I filed into the Command Center control room. Jason and Trini were in here as well, discussing something in a hushed whisper that seemed to stop when we entered.

"Thanks, Alpha. I just hope that Rocky recovers quickly." Zack replied, sighing. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the secondary controls.

"He should be fine. Whatever Tommy hit him with seemed to be just a stunning power. A few hours in the tank will do him some good." I replied, running a hand through my hair. I noticed that Jason whispered something to Trini again. "Everything okay, guys?"

"Yeah. I think we may have caught on to something." Jason said. "Alpha, pull up the footage of the fight between Tommy and the Megazord."

"Yes, Jason." Alpha replied, pressing some buttons on the computer. The viewing globe glowed while an image of the Dragonzord appeared. The video began playing, the Dragonzord charging the Megazord. Then, it vanished.

"How did he do that?" Zack asked, staring at the view globe. "It was like he was there one minute and then gone the next."

"Keep watching." Jason said. A few seconds went by and I realized that nothing else on the screen seemed to be moving; the clouds, the trees and the sand seemed to be at a standstill. The Dragonzord appeared behind us and suddenly, things began to move again as it struck us.

"Tommy is stopping time." Trini explained, stepping towards the globe. "It must be what his dino gem power is. He's stopping time, so he can use a sneak attack. That's why it seems he's vanishing out of thin air. He freezes time and then moves."

"Remarkable!" Billy explained, rubbing his chin. "This would explain his unexplainable attack methods."

"Exactly. Just like how Aisha used her ptero-scream to stop him from attacking you guys in the cockpit. He's discovered his power. Now that we know what it is, we can at least plan on it during battle." Jason closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "We need to figure something out now that the Megazord isn't an option."

"Didn't Tommy say his team had Zords?" Zack asked.

"Rangers, the Dino Thunder Zords were destroyed in battled against Mesagog." Zordon said, his voice carrying throughout the large room. "You will need to defeat this enemy without the use of Zords."

"Oh, well that's fantastic." Zack muttered under his breath.

"Thankfully, I have managed to lock onto the Dragonzord and have disabled it for the time being." Alpha said, stepping towards us. "Tommy will be unable to control it but neither will we. We are also still unsure about the other creature that was with Rosita during the battle."

"That's at least something though." Trini offered. "I think for now, everyone needs to get some rest. We've been going at it none stop for days now."

"Trini is correct." Zordon said. "Alpha will stand watch and will contact you if you are needed, Rangers."

"Sleep does sound pretty nice." Zack said, stretching. Billy nodded, cleaning his glasses with his shirt.

"Affirmative." The two headed out of the room and towards the men's sleeping chambers. Jason shook his head, staring down the viewing globe.

"Jas, we need to get some sleep." Trini said softly, putting her hand on her husband's shoulder.

"You go. I want to stay up for a little bit." He replied, giving her a small smile.

"I'll make sure he gets to bed." I said, smiling at Trini. She gave a reluctant glance before heading off to their chambers.

"Thanks." Jason said, glancing at me.

"No problem. I just knew I couldn't sleep and didn't feel like being alone either." I replied. Jason sighed, nodding.

"You doing okay?" He questioned, sitting on the control panel. I leaned against it next to him, shrugging.

"I suppose? As best as I can be." I looked down at my feet. "I miss him."

"I'm going to ask you something and please don't go into detail. Have you and him worked things out since coming back to town?"

"Yeah. We talked at the hotel after we left your house and things…progressed…when we went to find the dino gems." I replied, giving him a side glance. "That's what makes this whole thing worse. I just got him back, Jas. I can't stand knowing that I've lost him already."

"Hey." He said softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "You haven't lost him. He's just under her spell. We broke him out of it before and we will do it again. He's a tough guy. He's probably trying to break out of her hold himself."

"I hope so." I replied, crossing my arms. "Remember when Divatox kidnapped us?"

"How could I forget? Bulk and Skull were speaking German while we were about to die."

"Well, Tommy thought you and I were a thing then. He thought you were the reason I broke up with him."

"Ah. That makes somethings clearer now. Like the punch I got when I saw him after that." I gasped.

"He punched you?!" I exclaimed. He nodded, moving his arm from around me.

"Yeah. I went to tell him about Trini and I being together. He apparently thought I was there to tell him about you and me I'm guessing. He never said anything about that though. Why would he think that?" I shrugged.

"I guess it was the only thing he had to base his thoughts off of after I broke up with him without an explanation. So, it's my fault he punched you I suppose."

"Wouldn't be the first time." He said, nudging me. "Thankfully, his right hook is still as weak as it used to be." I snorted, standing up.

"Better not let him hear that when he comes back." I replied. A frown crossed my face. "If he comes back."

"He's coming back. I promise, Kimmie. We will get Tommy back and you'll be together."

"Thanks, Jas." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off in the same direction Trini had. The women's sleeping chambers were located on the south end of the Command Center while the men's were on the north. I'm not sure why it was designed like this because it kept the team separated. I always thought it was because we were teenagers with attitude and hormones and not necessarily the means for birth control. But then again, generations of Power Rangers had used the Command Center before us.

Walking up the curved blue corridor, I stood in front of the women's chambers. Pressing on the door, it slid up and opened. The room was dark, telling me that Trini had chosen to sleep with Jason in the make shift bedroom they had designed in the smaller training room. Aisha must still be with Rocky, leaving me the room to myself. The lights switched on as I entered, the light grey room coming to light. On the left side of the wall was three sets of bunkbeds. Each was made with different color bedding, matching our colors. Across the room was a wall of built in dressers that were embedded into the wall. Retractable storage bins were stored here as well that small objects like jewelry could be kept. There was also a power bank for electronics to charge wirelessly. My cell phone was perched on top of it, still charging from when I had returned from the Seventh Floor. In the back corner of the room, there was a door way that led to the private bathroom the girls were allowed to use. The light was off, telling me no one was in there.

Sighing, I walked over to my claimed bed with pink bedding. Stretching, I sat on the edge of it and began to unlace the laces on my tennis shoes. Shifting, I felt something crinkle under me. Confused, I stood and looked down. There was an envelop tucked under the blankets were my pillow rested. It was a dark green color, my name written across it in silver writing. Reaching down, I slid it out from it's place and ripped it open.

 _Beautiful,_

 _Please meet me at our spot by the lake. Midnight._

 _Handsome_


	26. Chapter 26

My heart froze as I read the silver cursive that I knew was Tommy's handwriting. How had he gotten in here? Glancing around, I looked to make sure he wasn't hiding somewhere within the room. I checked the bathroom, flicking on the light of the small room. The only think I found in there was a toilet and the shower unit. Walking back out into the room, I reread the note about ten times. It was obviously a trap. I knew it was the second I saw the envelop. Just considering it was stupid on my part. Going there would be walking in front of a firing squad and telling them to go for it.

I wasn't surprised at all though as I found myself shuffling through my closet to find something to change into. I yanked off my t-shirt and shorts, pulling on a long sleeved dark pink fleece over shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. Tossing my hair up in a pony tail, I checked the time on the wall. It was a little after eleven thirty, giving me half an hour to decide whether this was a good move or the worst one I could ever make. I scooped up my morpher and my communicator, glancing at them in my hands. I snapped the communicators on my wrist and tucked my morpher under my sweater in front of my stomach, clipping it to my belt loop. I thought about leaving it behind, trying to show Tommy I was coming unarmed to meet with him. I knew that wasn't a smart move though. Especially after what happened before. I didn't want to give him another chance to attack me unprepared. Sighing, I took a deep breath before teleporting out of the Command Center.

I landed on the outskirts of Angel Grove Park, smacked dab between the parking lot and the information booth. I made a quick sweep of the area, making sure no one had seen me. It was dark, the only light coming from the street lights that lined the path along the park. It was just as a remembered it. The front of the park was a large field with trees placed here and there. On the left side was a soccer field and a baseball diamond. On the right was the nature trail beginning and the playground. I saw they had redone it since I had been gone, the wooden structures replaced with kid friendly plastic playsets. Beyond the playground, I could see the opening in the trees where I knew the pond was. Tucking my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, I started down the dirt path that led to the pond.

The last time I had been here was with Tommy. We had walked the outskirts of the pond after spending the day together. It had been a great day, one that I thought about all the time. He let me drag him through the mall and I listened to his karate stories that I never got tired of. We had lunch together and made it to the water in time to watch the sunset. It was the same night we had decided to take things to the next level. It was one of the greatest days of my life. Most of my great memories with Tommy were held here next to this little body of water. We had our first kiss here as well after I confessed my feelings for him. It had taken everything in me to tell him that without throwing up on his feet. But I managed, and he felt the same way. It was after he had lost his Power Coin for good and thought his time as a Power Ranger was over. How little we knew then.

Passing through the trees, I saw the pond in front of me. The path spread into a fork, following the outline of the water. Three boulders were placed in the middle of the fork, bushes and flowers growing around them. Tommy used to practice his martial arts here when he needed to clear his head or if the youth center was too full. I could almost see him slowly moving his arms and body as he ran through his kata. Walking passed them, I headed on the right side of the pond where the trees were growing in thicker. I walked for some time, lost in my thoughts of high school and my time with Tommy. The time he helped me get my grandmother's spinning wheel back. Or when he rebuilt my float for me when it was destroyed by Rita and her goons. The time when he first saved me from Bulk and Skull when they were harassing me in front of my locker. I could hardly believe how much has happened between the two of us and how clueless I had really been when it came to seeing how Tommy felt about me. Anyone with eyes could have seen it. Even Ernie from the youth center had known, trying to help Tommy do his best to impress me whenever he could. Maybe my stupidity had been way before I left for Florida.

I came across the section of the pond that I knew better than any other place in the park. There was no tall grass here like there was around the rest of the water. There were some smaller boulders here, flowers growing around them as well. Off to the left them, there was a portion of ground that had sand on it from when Angel Grove tried to open a swimming hole here. It was our spot. Stepping towards the rocks, I saw something carved into the stone of the largest rock. Running my hand over it, I felt the carving of our initials that Tommy had spent a week doing. He had always said that carvings in trees cut me cut out or down. Our initials in stone would last a life time. Sitting on the rock, I took a deep breathe. Every part of me told me to run before the obvious trap showed up. I knew it was going to be one. What was I even doing here? Why was I risking my life?

Cause Tommy would do the same for you, my mind said. I nodded to no one, knowing it was true. Tommy would risk his life if it meant saving me. What other choice did I have? Tommy had managed to break through the spell for a few minutes before. Maybe I could get him to do it again just enough to get him to the Command Center to break the spell entirely. Or maybe I wasn't going to make it back there myself.

"You came." A voice said behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts. Turning, I saw a dark figure standing just outside of the circle of light the lamp on the path was making. Swallowing hard, I stood as the figure stepped forward. I knew before the light illuminated him that it was Tommy just by the shape of him. His broad shoulders were dressed in a leather jacket, a green t-shirt tucked under it. His legs were clad in black jeans and combat boots housed his feet. His expression in itself was a dark one. He looked as if he was staring down one of his enemies, rather than me. I took a defensive stance, looking at him with aniexty filling my chest. "Don't." He said, softly, walking closer. "I'm not here to fight you."

"Why are you here then?" I asked, slowly lowering my arms. "And why should I believe you?"

"What other choice do you have?" He asked, walking passed me. I watched him as he walked over to the water's edge. "No one else knows I'm here. I figured if I talked to you alone, I can shut up the idiot in my head."

"What are you talking about?"

"Rosita's spell. It's different than the one Rita casted. Instead of controlling my mind, it's slowly absorbing it. I'm not under the control of the spell. I'm just becoming the dark side of the person I already was. Almost like a person without a soul or a conscious." I frowned, not liking the sound of that. "Sadly, the stupid part of me that is still there keeps screaming out your name whenever it gets near you. It's the part that won't let go."

"Because it's not the person you're suppose to be, Tommy." I said, stepping towards him. He turned to face me, rolling his eyes.

"Please don't say that. You have no clue how much of this was me before the spell. How much anger and rage I had built up inside of me. This is the result of it all. It's not something that just appeared after the spell hit me. It's been there this whole time. I was just good at hiding it because I had a reason to. Rosita has shown me that maybe showing it isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"So that's it? You're just going to give up everything you've worked for your whole life and just go back to being a lap dog from Rita's brat?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "What about your students? The kids back in Reefside. The ones that fought by your side fighting against a monster that was trying to kill you."

"They are out of the game now. I'm sure they are having a blast in college. They are done being Power Rangers. They have nothing to do with this now." He responded, shrugging. "Only idiots try to be Rangers after their time is over with."

"You're not an idiot, Tommy." He snorted.

"I was referring to you and your friends, princess." I glared at him.

"Why am I here again?" I asked, sighing. "I have things I could be doing. Like looking over my friends. Especially the one you tried to kill today."

"I only stunned him. I'm sure he'll live." He mused. "For now."

"I'm leaving." I stated, anger beginning to rise in my chest. I turned, heading towards the path. I heard him behind me before he grabbed my left arm.

"Wait. Please don't go yet." He said. I shifted to look at him, seeing a glimpse of the old Tommy. "I won't say stuff like that anymore."

"What do you want from me? Cause unless you are going to try and break the spell, there's nothing else I want from you." Grunting, he ran a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath.

"I wanted to ask you something." He said, closing his eyes. "Even though every other part of me wants to destroy you with the rest of the Power Pussies-." Opening his eyes, he saw my glare I shot him. "Sorry. I want to forget you but the strongest part of me only cares about you. I just wanted to know if you would consider joining Rosita's side." I scoffed, looking at him with fake amusement.

"Are you serious right now? Why on God's green earth would I even consider that?" I replied, amazed by the suggestion.

"Because of this." Shifting forward, Tommy slammed him mouth on to mine. I was taken back by the kiss, stumbling a bit. He steadied me, holding me close to his body while his mouth explored mine. I tried to push him off but he was too strong and I didn't want to stop. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to picture Tommy as he was just a few days ago. He pulled away for air, holding my face with his hands and his face hoovered inches from my own. "If you say yes, we can be together. Forever. It's all I've ever wanted and I can tell you feel the same way."

"Tommy, just come back with me." I whispered. "We'll find a cure and we can be together."

"This is the only way we can be together, beautiful." He whispered. "I'll give you some time to think about it. Don't fuck it up, okay? And don't tell your stupid friends. I don't want meathead Jason trying to chase me down because I'm trying to turn his 'friend' against him."

"But-."

"Shh." He lightly kissed my lips again before letting me go. "Meet me here tomorrow night with your decision." He took a couple steps back before teleporting out of the park.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning, I rolled out of bed in the women's quarters. There was no sleep to rub out of my eyes as I had not slept the entire night. I just laid there, replaying my conversation with Tommy in my head. He had been right about his behavior. It was different now than it was with Rita in control. Before, he only had a one-track mind. His one goal in life was to kill us and destroy Zordon, something he almost accomplished. He had hesitated in the Megazord though when it was just him and me there. He had every chance to kill me at that moment but instead, he just teleported out of there. The same with last night. The original Green Ranger would have snapped me in half without a second thought. He had every opportunity to do it but instead, he confessed that he still wanted to be with me regardless of the spell. Which meant this was either an elaborate ploy to trick me into joining them, something I could believe.

Or Tommy was in there somewhere.

Everything from the way he looked to me to the tone in his voice told me he was battling himself internally. He had said the other side of him was forcing him to do this. Was that the real Tommy trying to break free? Or was he correct in saying that he was becoming the spell rather than it controlling him? Would that mean once it was complete, there would be no saving Tommy? That thought scared me to death. I couldn't imagine Tommy permanently becoming the dark version of himself. It was not the person he was supposed to be. Tommy is sweet, caring, gentle and passionate about everything he does. This Tommy was cold, cunning and only cared about himself. And me it seemed.

I changed from my pajamas into a pair of light grey leggings and a long pink tank top before venturing out into the Command Center. I could smell eggs and bacon, the smell coming from the kitchen area. Since we were spending so much time here, Trini had opted to buy groceries rather than us eating take out for every meal that we were missing. Walking towards the smell, I entered the kitchen area. It was a medium sized room that was set up much like a break room. On one side of the room, there were cabinets, a microwave, a fridge and a stove built into the counter top. Across from it, there was a long rectangular grey table set up. Chairs were positioned on either side of it. The entire room was decorated in hues of greys and blues, matching the rest of the living quarters here in the Command Center. Zack was standing in front of the stove, a large griddle pan placed on the stove in front of him. He was flipping pancakes on it while stirring scrambled eggs in another frying pan next to it. There was white pancake mix smeared all over the front of his black t-shirt and his basketball shorts. Behind him, Trini, Jason, Aisha and Rocky were sitting at the table. Each held a mug in their hand, drinking coffee more than likely. Everyone suddenly stopped talking when I entered the room. I smiled when I saw Rocky sitting at the table.

"Morning, Kim." He said, smiling at me. He was wearing a red t-shirt, basketball shorts matching it on the lower part of his body.

"Hey! Glad to see you up and moving. How are you feeling?" I asked, walking over to the coffee pot Jason had made Trini bring to the Command Center. I grabbed a white coffee mug and poured some of the warm liquid into it. It felt nice as I cupped the mug in my hand before heading to the table. I sat next to Trini who was next to Jason. Aisha and Rocky were sitting across from them.

"I'm good now. You, on the other hand, look like shit." He replied. I snorted, shaking my head.

"Thanks, Rocko." I took a sip of my coffee and let the warmth relax me. I leaned back in my chair and looked up. I realized all of them were staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"Aisha went to your quarters last night and you weren't there." Jason said, tapping his fingers on the table in front of him. "We looked for you around the Command Center, but you weren't here. You didn't answer your phone either." I shrugged, trying my best to act calm while my nerves were on edge.

"So? I went for a walk. That's all." I replied. Jason sighed, leaning back in his chair. His red muscle shirt rustled over his jeans as he did.

"Kim, we're just worried about you." Trini said, giving me a small smile as she placed her hand on mine. "We didn't know where you were. We thought something might have happened to you."

"I'm fine. Really. Just after everything that happened yesterday, I needed some air to breathe." Behind us, Zack walked over and set a stack of plates on the table. He placed a bundle of forks and knives next to them.

"So, you didn't go anywhere? You just went for a walk around the Command Center?" He asked, not looking at me.

"Why do I feel like I'm being interrogated?" I shot back, crossing my arms in front of me. "If you must know, I went for a walk outside. Where the fresh air is." I stood up, walking around the table towards the door way.

"We checked the computer. You teleported to Angel Grove Park." Jason responded, leaning forward on his elbows. I froze in the middle of the door. "It picked up on another power source as well. Kimmy, please tell me you didn't go meet Tommy. Alone. At night." Biting my lip, my shoulders sagged as I turned to face my friends.

"Well…" I trailed off.

"Jesus Christ, Kim!" Jason exclaimed, jumping to his feet. His chair flew backwards, falling. It bounced off the concrete floor. "Do you know how dangerously stupid that was of you?"

"Jason, calm down." Trini said, reaching out and grabbing his arm. He tugged it away, glaring at me.

"No! He could have kidnapped you. He could have killed you! You didn't tell anyone where you were going. If he had taken you to God knows where, we wouldn't have even known about it."

"It wasn't like that, Jason." I retorted, stepping towards the group. "He left me a note, asking me to meet him at the park. I only went because the note didn't sound like evil Tommy. It sounded more like our Tommy. It was something the old Tommy under Rita's spell couldn't even manage to pull off."

"Where did he leave you a note?" Aisha asked. I hesitated, not wanting them to panic. "Kim?"

"On my bed."

"On your bed?! That means he was here in the Command Center." Zack said, setting his spatula down. He shot Jason a look who nodded.

"We need to do an entire sweep of this place to make sure he didn't plant something." Rocky stated, standing as well. "There could be a bomb or a bug somewhere without us even knowing."

"Why didn't you tell one of us that Tommy had been here? You put everyone's lives at risk." Jason said. He was fuming now, the vein on the side of his neck throbbing to the point where I could see it.

"I didn't mean to put anyone at risk. I just thought if I met with Tommy, I could convince him to come back here to try and reverse the spell."

"Well? Did he?" Zack asked. I shook my head, looking at my hands.

"No. He told me that there was no way to reverse the spell. That it was becoming apart of him rather than just something controlling him. This thing is embedding in him." I replied. Jason swore under his breath, rubbing the back of his head.

"Rocky, you and Zack go find Alpha. Do a sweep of the whole place for anything. Aisha, find Billy and have him do some tests to see if there is anyway we could form the Megazord without Tyrannosaurus. I'm going to talk to Zordon to see if there is anything we can do about Tommy." Jason shot me a glare as he stormed out of the room. Zack and Rocky followed him, Aisha bringing up the rear. I sighed, feeling defeated. Never in my life had I ever seen Jason so mad and that fact it was because of me hurt even worse.

"Hey." Trini said, standing and walking over to me. Her purple sun dress flowed behind her as she walked. "He's only so upset because he's scared. He was worried about you last night. He thought for sure you had been taken by Rosita and Tommy."

"Trini, I didn't know what else to do. When I found the note, I figured I had no other choice. It was the only chance I had to talk to him. It's Tommy."

"I know, Kim. What else happened? No one else showed up?" I shook my head.

"No. It was just him. At least I think it was. He told me no one else knew he was coming to see me."

"Why did he want to see you so bad?" She asked. I took a deep breath, unsure of what to say.

"He asked me to join him on Rosita's army because the evil side of him couldn't stop the part of him that wants to be with me."

"Oh my god." She whispered. "Kim, you can't be considering it."

"I don't know. Of course I want to protect Earth against that evil witch. But I also want to protect Tommy. If I was there, I could try to get him away from it and save him."

"If he had enough control over his actions to come see you, he would have enough to ask for help." She said, frowning at me. "You need to promise me that you won't go after him again. It's too dangerous. He could be setting you up for a trap or worse."

"But Trini-."

"No buts, Kim. If I find out you went to see Tommy, I'm going to tell Jason."


	28. Chapter 28

Rocky and Zack did a sweep of the building and same up with nothing out of the ordinary. Alpha even did a scan and it didn't pick up on any type of recording or listening devices. If Tommy had been in here, he didn't leave anything but the note behind. A part of me believe he hadn't stepped foot into the Command Center. Alpha had been tracking his movements since Rosita placed the spall on him. If he had been here, we would have known it the second he teleported. Unless he had stopped time, his new-found power being more helpful to him than we liked.

Jason had spoke to Zordon about what happened. He still wasn't talking to me but from what Billy told me, Zordon had no idea how they were going to save Tommy. Rita's spell had been easy to break, destroying the Sword of Darkness. Rosita's was much more powerful and darker. Zordon believed it was something that she learned while learning on Goldar's planet. His people were known for dark magic to help them in battle. He was going to keep trying to find a cure for the spell. Billy and Aisha were working on the Zords, trying their best to salvage what was left of the T-Rex in hopes of being able to form the Megazord. Billy was hopeful it would work but it would take some time, something we weren't sure if we had or not.

In the meantime, Trini was busy watching me like a hawk. It was like every move I made, she was there. She was even in our quarters when I emerged from the shower. It was getting old rather quick, feeling like I had a babysitter rather than team mates. Everyone was walking around me on eggshells that had been present this morning, like Jason was going to hurt them if they spoke to me. I tried not to let it bother me, but my patience was quickly wearing thin to the point I was going to crack when Alpha called us all to the control room.

I walked into the room with Billy, everyone already gathered around. A hush fell over everyone when they saw I was there. I ignored it, Billy rubbing my back in a supportive way as we joined them. Zordon appeared in the tube, looking down at us. Trini and Aisha were standing by the control panel with Zack. Rocky and Jason stood by the viewing globe, Jason shooting me a glare every now and then.

"Rangers, thank you for coming quickly." Zordon said. "I believe I may have found a solution to breaking the spell on Tommy."

"That's great, Zordon!" Billy said, smiling at me.

"The magic being used is indeed from the same dimension where Goldar was born. It is a dark magic that is absorbed into the blood stream of the victim. This is why Tommy believes he is becoming evil instead of letting it control him as it happened with Rita. To break this spell, he will need to purify in the same way Rita and Zedd were purified."

"But Zordon, wouldn't that mean killing you?" Jason asked.

"No, Jason. Once Rosita is defeated, you'll be able to purify Tommy using your powers. This will destroy the dino gems, but Tommy will no longer be under the spell."

"So, we need to wait until Rosita is destroyed before we can save him?" I asked, feeling everyone look at me.

"Unfortunately, Kimberly. Tommy will still remain a threat for as long he is under the spell. The sooner Rosita is taken care of, the sooner Tommy can be saved." An alarm began ringing around the room, red light flashing.

"Ay iy iy!" Alpha cried, hobbling over to the viewing globe.

"Rangers, behold the viewing globe." Zordon said. Together, the team headed over to the sphere. On the screen, the ugly creature that had been with Rosita and Goldar at the battle was standing at the park. Putties were running around him, attacking citizens that were there enjoying the day.

"Great. It's that Strasser guy." Zack said.

"Count Strasser was one of Lord Zedd's most loyal servants. He was the one who took over responsibilities for Rosita after her parents were purified. Him and Goldar have taught her all of the evil elements she knows." Zordon said. Strasser looked just as ugly as he did before, a silver staff now in his hand. I almost expected a giant Z at the top of it. Instead, there was just a round sphere similar to the ones on the Seventh Floor.

"How do we fight him? We don't have our zords." Aisha asked.

"Strasser's power is linked to the staff he uses. If the staff is destroyed, he will be as well." Alpha replied.

"Sounds easy. Bet it's not." Rocky muttered, glancing at Jason whose eyes never left the screen.

"You guys should morph and head down there before they hurt someone." Trini said, looking around he group. We all exchanged glances, nodding.

"Right. It's morphin' time!" Rocky called out. "Tyrannosaurus!"

"Mastodon!"

"Saber tooth tiger!"

"Triceratops!"

"Pterodactyl!" I said, morphing along with the others. My body surged with power as I did, the pink spandex like suit covering me head to toe. My body flashed pink, matching with the other colors as the rest of the team changed as well.

"Good luck, Rangers! And may the power protect you." Zordon called as we teleported to the park. The five of us landed by the playground, the group of putties circling around a group of kids and their parents.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Aisha called out, charging at the putties. I followed after her, kicking two of them at once. She round housed one to her left before jabbing one in the jaw with a sharp thrust. The putties cried out in pain as they landed, breaking into pieces. Billy and Zack chased after another group of them, quickly taking care of the grey beings. Rocky cornered three of them by the swing set, swinging on one of the swings to kick two of them. The third tried to run but Rocky managed to catch him, punching him square in the chest. It let out a howl as it disintegrated in front of him.

"Alright. Where's Strasser?" Zack asked, looking around the park.

"Aisha, do a scan of the area with your helmet to see if you can detect his bioscan." Billy said, nodding at Aisha. She nodded, her helmet moving as she did. Reaching up, she touched the side of it. It beeped as she moved her head back and forth slowly.

"There!" She exclaimed, pointing towards the back of the park. "He's by the boat launch site!"

"Come on." Rocky said, taking off towards the direction. The group followed, sprinting in the direction she had pointed. Sure enough, as we came over the hill, we spotted Strasser. He was standing at the end of the dock, putties running around tormenting people who were trying to load their boats into the water. People let out cries of fear as the clay assholes chased them around.

"Leave them alone, Strasser!" Rocky called out, pointing at the gruesome looking man-like creature. Strasser turned to face us, his attention drawn from the chaos he was causing.

"Oh! Power Rangers! I was hoping you would show up." He said, his voice deep and almost similar to that of Zedd. It made my skin crawl. The sun reflected off the silver exoskeleton of metal he wore, casting almost a glow around him. The skin underneath was a dark purple and looked like it was oozing.

"Let them go." Zack said, motioning towards the civilians. "If you want to fight, that's what we're here for."

"Your words speak to me, black ranger." Strasser said, tapping his metal finger tip against the side of his face. "Putties, release the humans. We have a new target in mind." The putties let the people go, letting them run for safety. Instead, they turned their black beady eyes towards us. Strasser picked up his staff and slammed it back down onto the dock. The ground shook for a moment before the putties began to change. Instead of the normal gray and clay creatures, they were now red and stood two feet taller than us. The Z's imprinted on their chests disappeared, leaving no visible weak point for us to focus on.

"Guys, the Z's are gone." I said in a low voice. "Now where do we hit them?"

"Just keep hitting until something happens. It's bound to work." Rocky replied as the new mega-putties started our way. There were six of them and they spanned out like a footfall defensive line as they charged towards us. Rocky, Billy and Zack ran forward, Aisha and I following.

I aimed for the one all the way to the left as it sprinted towards me. I lifted my leg, kicking it square in the chin. It barely phased the beast, only stopping him for a moment. He swung a massive fist towards me, almost making contact to the middle of my helmet. I was able to dodge it though, flipping out of the way. He grabbed on to my ankle as I flipped, and he tossed me to the side like a rag doll. I landed with a hard thump on the grass, stars shining in my eyes. I felt his heavy footsteps heading towards me as I rolled over onto my back. I moved just as he was about to slam his foot down on my skull. Springing back up to my feet, I did a back-hand spring, so I was behind him. Jumping, I kicked him square in the back with both of my feet. He fell forward, the top of his body too heavy for the lower half to keep vertical. Using this to my advantage, I ran forward and jumped onto his back as he laid on the ground. It let out a shallow grumble as I jumped again. Under my feet, I felt him begin to melt away. Glancing down, I saw he was indeed melting. His body was turning into a puddle of wax. Flipping off of him, I landed on the slope of the hill and watched as he completely changed into a gross puddle of maroon colored goop.

Turning towards my friends, I saw that Aisha had quickly caught on to what had happened with my mega-putty. She had her's pinned to a tree, kicking him repeatedly. He couldn't move, and he began to drip from his arms and torso. Quickly, he became the thick liquid and joined his buddy as a puddle. I ran over to here as his head became nothing. "They need to keep moving to keep their shape." I said. She nodded, scanning them again.

"These ones are made out of wax. When they aren't moving in the sun, they melt." She replied. The sound of a cry made us both turn. Billy was pinned by two of them, the putties using him as an object to play catch with. "Hang on, Billy!" Aisha called out as we ran towards them. Zack and Rocky were still dealing with their own putties, neither of them seeming to notice that ours were easily destroyed. Aisha did a back flip through the air, socking the mega-putty on the right with her foot square on the nose. It released Billy and gripped its face. This distracted the other putty, allowing me to shove it as hard as I could from behind. It stumbled to the ground, landing on it's knees.

"You okay, Billy?" I asked, holding a hand out to the blue Power Ranger. He had fallen to the ground in the shuffle. Reaching up, he took my hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"Affirmative."

"They are made out of wax. Once they get caught in the sun and can't move, they melt." I told him. The putty that had fallen was now back to his feet, glaring at Billy and me.

"Remarkable." He replied, taking the fight stance. Running forward, Billy dodged a right hook as the putty swung. As it was recovering, Billy swung his foot and took its feet out from underneath him. It let out a disgusting cry before falling backwards. Like I had done, Billy jumped on top of it, pinning it to the ground. As the other two had done, it molted into a puddle in the sunlight. Aisha had managed to take her's out as well, the wax getting onto her suit in the process.

"Gross!" She exclaimed, trying to wipe it off.

"Don't. I can examine it in the lab." Billy said, stepping towards her. I glanced over at Zack and Rocky who had managed to catch on to our discovery. Both of their putties were puddles now, the sun reflecting off the hot wax. Strasser let out a loud laugh, crossing his arms as we stood in front of him.

"You are as tough as I had heard, Rangers. This pleases me. Once Rosita has you all in her grasps, she will have quite a powerful team under her command." He said, giving us what I assumed was a smile.

"We'll never join you!" Zack called out. "We only fight for Zordon and our mission to protect the Earth."

"I guess we will see about that. For now, I'll leave you with a little friend to play with!" He waved his hand and a green flash of light filled the area. Next to him was now the morphed Green Ranger, the Dragon dagger in his hand. There was a collective gasp as we all took our fighting stance. "Tommy, I'll leave you to play." Strasser let out a laugh as he vanished with a puff of purple smoke.

"Looks like we meet again, Power Pussies." Tommy called out in a mocking tone, cracking his knuckles. "Nice trick with locking the Dragonzord. No worries though. I can beat all your asses without it. And let's save all the 'You don't have to do this' talk. I think we all know we're passed that stage at this point." He pointed the dagger at Zack. "Zack, it's your turn."

"Bring it then." Zack called out. "I'm sick of hearing you run your mouth." Raising his hands, Zack summoned his Power Axe. Tommy let out a dark laugh.

"Excellent."

Both charge forward, swinging their weapons. The blade of the axe met with the blade of the dagger, sparks shooting everywhere. I jumped as they collided, holding my breath in terror as I watched them fight. Zack brought the stock of the axe up, trying to clip Tommy in the head with it. He dodged the attack, punching Zack in the stomach who let out a groan as he stepped back a couple of feet. He recovered quickly though, shielding himself from a blow Tommy attempted with his right knee. Zack brought his left elbow up, connecting to Tommy's rib cage. He flinched in pain, shoving Zack away from him. As he did, Zack swung the axe. Tommy jumped above it to avoid the impact, flipping backwards. He landed on his feet, driving his dagger towards Zack with a back hand. Zack barely had time to lean away from it, the blade cutting into the chest of his uniform. A few drops of blood dripped down his chest, staining the white diamond in the middle of his torso.

Zach ignored his wound, bracing himself for another attack. Tommy bent low, trying to sweep Zack's legs from underneath him. He was too quick though; Zack jumped into the air and slammed the staff of the axe into the side of Tommy's head. There was a loud crack when it made contact with the helmet, sending Tommy stumbling backwards a bit. Shaking his head, he regained his position. Tucking his heels together, he flipped through the air. He brought a hard series of kicks to Zack's chest, in the same area he had been sliced open. Zack did his best to keep his footing, but the repeated jabs were too much. He fell backwards, his Power Axe sliding away from him in the grass. Tommy towered over him now, Zack on his back looking up to him. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Tommy draw his arm back, ready to swing the dagger down.

"NO!" I screamed, running forward. I jumped in front of Zack, pressing my hands against Tommy's chest. Everything suddenly stilled; the wind not blowing, the birds not chirping and everyone around me stopped breathing. Tommy stopped swinging, angerly shoving the dagger into it's sheath on his belt. Reaching up, he unclipped his helmet and tossed it to the ground by our feet. He glared at me, anger filling his facial features.

"Kim! Are you insane?! I could have killed you!" He spat as I looked around us. Nothing was moving but us, time frozen.

"You were going to stab Zack! What did you expect me to do? Just stand there and let it happen?" I replied, taking my own helmet off.

"Why can't you make things easier? If I take care of the rest of them, you won't have to make much of a choice to come with me then." He said, running a hand through his hair. Sweat poured down his face as he wiped his brow.

"Well, pardon me for caring about my friends. You can't just kill them, Tommy. I don't care how evil this spell is making you. Deep down, you know they are our friends and you can't kill them."

"Listen, I told you last night. The only one I care about is you. The rest of them can jump off a cliff for all I care. Especially Jason. That arrogant son of a bitch can rot in hell. Did you decide about coming with me or not?" He asked, casting me a questioning look.

"Tommy, I can't just leave them. We're trying to save the world." I said softly. He scoffed, shaking his head.

"I should have known. You left me once before, why would this be any different? You're nothing but a liar, Kim. All you care about is yourself. It's always been that way. Even when we were kids. You were always the good girl who was spoiled by everyone who looked at you."

"You aren't being fair! Why can't you just join us again? We know how to stop the spell. Zordon found a way to reverse it. We can be together if you come back with me." He looked at me confused, a glint of his soft eyes gazing at mine for a moment. It was like seeing the old Tommy.

"He knows how to reverse the spell? Impossible. Rosita made it unbreakable." I shook my head.

"She's just using dark magic that she learned from Goldar's home planet. We can fix you once Rosita is destroyed. You can help us stop her, Tommy." He winced in pain, more sweat forming on his face. "What's wrong?"

"It takes a lot out of me to stop time this long. Just meet me tonight, okay? Same spot. If you join me, I'll let your idiotic friends live." Bending down, he grabbed his helmet before teleporting out of the park. As soon as he was gone, time started again. Zack let out a loud gasp as he realized Tommy was gone but I was now standing over him, my helmet in my hands.

"What happened?" He asked, looking around for Tommy. "He just vanished! How did you get there?"

"He must have frozen time again." Rocky said, holding a hand out to Zack. He took it, pulling himself up from the ground. Everyone turned to look at me.

"I blocked him from hitting Zack. He got mad and took off." I said, glancing around the group. "I think I might have gotten through to him for a minute. I told him we know how to break the spell. He looked at me like the old Tommy for a minute. He's still in there somewhere."


	29. Chapter 29

Back at the Command center, Zack was healed of his injuries and Billy examined the gunk from the Mega-Putties. Zordon, Jason and Trini grilled me on what happened when time had been frozen. Unlike before, the viewing globe and the censors were unable to record what had occurred. Tommy must have realized his powers were detectable by us and had found a way to stop this. I told them about most of the conversation, leaving the part out about meeting tonight. Trini stared at me like she could see right through me. It made me feel uneasy as I lied but I had already made my mind up about the matter.

Billy came back from the lab and told us the putties were made out of a mixture of clay, wax and magic. They were easy to melt down because of the heat from the sun. This meant we at least knew how to beat those things if they were to show up again. Jason, Zack and Rocky examined the footage of Strasser with Zordon, trying to find out more about him that we didn't know. Zordon explained to us that Strasser had been second in Command while Zedd was dealing with Earth. When word spread about Zedd being purified, he stepped up to take Rosita and raise her on Goldar's planet out of the watchful eye of any one associated with the Power Rangers. Rosita had also had a younger brother by the name of Thrax. He had been sealed in Rita's space dumpster at some point but managed to find his way back to earth. Thankfully, the Overdrive Power Rangers had managed to wipe him off the face of the Earth before he caused any real damage. Strasser was afraid of that happening with Rosita, making sure no one knew about her until she was ready to attack.

As night fell, we all found ourselves crammed into the kitchen area for dinner. Trini had made a special Korean dish that her parents had taught her as a kid. It was delicious, reminding me of the food in Florida. I had called yesterday to extend my absence again. My boss was now growing concerned about me being gone for so long. The school year was almost over and finals would begin to come into play. I also called Tommy's school to tell them he was currently suffering through a health scare. I didn't know what else to tell them besides he was currently under an evil spell. They seemed to have bought the sickness story however, saying they would get a sub for the rest of the year.

"This is great, Trini!" Rocky said, slurping noodles into his mouth. Aisha rolled her eyes at him, taking a bite of her chicken.

"Thanks." Trini replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin. The seven of us had squeezed in around the table to eat. Trini and Jason were at the head of the table. Billy was on Trini's right side, followed by Aisha and me. Rocky and Zack sat next to Jason, the three of them filling up the left side of the table. Food was scooped into platters on the table as we ate from the plates in front of us.

"So, are you guys hoping for a boy or girl?" Aisha asked, smiling at Trini. Jason grinned, swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Better be a boy!" He said. "I'll be one step closer to forming Scott's and Sons Dojo!" Trini rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter to me as long as it's healthy and not living in a world ruled by Rosita." She said, finishing her food.

"Amen to that." Zack chirped, filling his plate with more food. "I'm just glad Kim was able to save my ass today. Thought for sure Tommy was going to have my hide."

"You're welcome." I said, shooting him a smirk. "I don't think he would have really done it anyway. He was just looking to scare you." Standing, I picked up my plate and set it in the small sink behind me.

"Hey, Kim?" Jason asked. I turned and looked at him quickly. It was the first he had spoken to me directly since his blow up.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He stood from his chair, motioning his head towards the door. I nodded, walking towards it. He gave Trini a quick kiss before following me. In the hallway, he pointed towards the smaller training room where him and Trini were staying. He led me inside, closing the sliding door behind me as I entered.

"Surprised you're talking to me." I said, looking around the make shift bedroom. Two bunks had been shoved in here for them to sleep on as well as a few small tables. Their clothes were hanging in the lockers on the one wall.

"I wanted to say I was sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I was a bit out of line." I shrugged, looking up at him.

"No, you weren't. You had every reason to be angry. I put the team at risk because I'm selfish."

"You are the most not selfish person I know, Kimmie." He said, giving me a small smile. "I was just scared when you were missing. You're like my little sister. I thought for sure you were dead or something when we couldn't find you. I overacted."

"It's okay, Jase. I get it. I'm sure I would have done the same thing you did." Sighing, I sat on one of the bunks and glanced down at my knees. "To be honest with you, I kinda hoped that Tommy had led me to a trap. At least then I would be there and we would know more." He scoffed, sitting next to me.

"Yeah. We'd know you were trapped in whatever dimension they have set up at the Hotel from Hell. I'm just glad you're safe. If he ever tries to get you to meet him again, tell me, okay? That way, we will at least have some clue where you are and what to do if things go south." I bit my lip, nodding. Part of me wanted to tell him about Tommy asking me to meet him tonight. I didn't though, my chest weighing heavy with guilt. Jason reached out and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "At least now we know how to save Tommy. Once we figure out how to beat Rosita, we'll have him back to you in no time."

"Right." I whispered as he hugged me.

Jason and I were interrupted by Trini as she stuck her head into the door way. "Sorry, guys Zordon wants us all in the control room." Standing, we followed her out the door and up the hallway.

"What is it, Zordon?" Zack asked as we all crowded into the circular area of the Command Center. Alpha stood at the computer, reading something that was printing next to him. Billy walked over to join him, looking at the paper as well. Zordon looked down at us, a look of something in his eyes.

"I believe we may have come up with a solution in defeating Rosita." He said, his voice vibrating the ground beneath us. "Like her parents, Rosita is consumed with evil energy and magic. It's all she's ever grown up with. By reversing this, we would be able to transform her from the person she is to a good version."

"That's easier said than done, Zordon." Aisha said, crossing her arms in front of her. "Sure, we know how to purify Tommy with our gems but we won't be able to do that on him and Rosita."

"That is true, Aisha. Alpha has been in contact with the Power Rangers that defeated Rosita's brother Thrax. They have provided us with the space dumpster that Rita was trapped in before. By placing Rosita in the container, she will purify over time. First, Goldar and Strasser will need to be destroyed. They are the ones instructing her in this mission to take over the world. Once they are defeated, Rosita will be easily taken over."

"But how can we defeat Goldar and Strasser? We don't even have our Zords." I asked, looking up at Zordon.

"But you do!" Alpha exclaimed, turning to face us. "Billy and I were able to fix the Tryanasourus zord just enough so that the Megazord could be formed. The T-Rex zord is useless on it's own but enough of it was saved so that the Megazord can be used."

"the Dragonzord is still locked?" Jason asked. Alpha nodded.

"It's been disabled. It can only be used if we bring it back on-line while Tommy is calling it with the Dragon dagger." He replied. Jason glanced around the group.

"We have to attack the hotel." He said, grimly. "I know there are civilians there but we don't have much choice. The longer we wait, the stronger she gets. If we contact the mayor now, he could get the hotel shut down for some other reason and hopefully get all the people out."

"That will only tip her off though." Rocky said, frowning. "We need to find another way to warn people to get out of the hotel."

"What about another earthquake?" I asked, stepping forward. "When the first one hit, everyone in the hotel was forced outside by management. It's their protocol. If we can make them think there's another Earthquake going on, we can drive everyone outside and somewhere safe."

"That's a great idea!" Trini said, smiling at me. She turned to Billy. "Do we have the power to do that?" He nodded.

"Affirmative. We possess the artillery to make a pseudo-earth anomaly." He replied.

"So, we send off something to make the city think it's an earthquake again. Once they are out, we have them escorted somewhere safe and we can take out the hotel." Zack said, nodding his head.

"This just might work." Jason said, leaning against the control panel. "Billy, do a bioscan sweep of the hotel. We can get a head count on how many civilians are in the hotel. Rocky and Aisha, you two are going to head to the hotel. We'll signal when we are about to start the quake. You get everyone out and to safety. Kim, Billy and Zack will head into the hotel and start sweeping all the floors for anyone else who might still be there. Once Rocky and Aisha are back, you'll head to the Seventh Floor and take out Goldar and Strasser. With them out of the picture, we can target Rosita and trap her in the space container. Then, we can save Tommy."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Let's go." Rocky said, sounding pumped.

"Rangers, it would be best to follow through with this plan in the morning. The Zords are still charging and the darkness of night time would only aid Rosita." Zordon said, stopping us all.

"Zordon's right." Trini said. "We get a full night's sleep and be ready first thing in the morning." The group nodded, glancing at each other. Trini turned to Billy. "Want to try calling your wife again?"

"Yes, please." He responded, giving her a small smile. Together, the two of them headed towards the back of the control room.

"I think I'm going to give Angela and my parents a call." Zack said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He headed out too, Jason following behind him. Rocky and Aisha also said they were going to call their families. Something hung in the air are they all left, me standing in the control room with Alpha. They were all calling their loved ones just in case. I had seen it before when we were younger. Before every great battle, we would be sure to give our parents a quick call to check in to say we were okay and that we loved them. Our parents never knew any better, thinking we were just being responsible kids. They had no idea we were risking our lives every time we left the house. Sighing, I reached into my pocket and pulled my cell out. Heading towards the women's quarters, I pulled up my mother's number and selected the call option. It rang as I brought it to my ear.

"Hello?" My mother's voice said after a minute or so.

"Hey, Mom! How are you?" I said, entering my makeshift bedroom.

"Kim! So glad to hear your voice. I'm fine, dear. How are you?" She replied as I sat on my bed.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just wanted to call and see how things were going." She went on about moving her things back to the states and how sick of France she was. Her marriage to Pierre had been short lived and she wasn't all that thrilled about the people there anymore. I barely listened as she talked, just enjoying the sound of her voice. Besides Tommy, she was the only person I really had in the world. My father and I were estranged, not speaking much since I broke my back. I knew he had blamed me for ruining my Olympic career, thinking it was my fault the accident happened because I had been suspended. At first, it hurt to know our relationship was fading but now I had accepted the fact.

"Honey, did you hear me?" Mom's voice asked, breaking me of my thoughts. "I said that I heard the Power Rangers were spotted in Angel Grove. Did you see them on the news?"

"Yeah. Actually, I'm in Angel Grove. I decided to come from my reunion after all." I replied.

"Oh! Did you get to see everyone?"

"Everyone came." I said, knowing her next question.

"Did you see Tommy?" She asked, not bothering to cover her curiosity.

"I did. We talked, and I think we are going to work on things."

"That's wonderful, honey! He was always such a great kid. The two of you were perfect for each other. So, when do you come home?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm just staying with Jason and Trini right now and trying to enjoy a nice little vacation. I guess I'll see where that takes me." I heard her move stuff on the other line. Glancing at my watch, I saw it was nearing midnight. That meant it was about 9 am where she was.

"Well, you make sure to tell them I send them my love. Especially to their baby! He's so adorable. I love when Trini posted pictures of him on her page."

"I will, Mom. I should probably get going. It's getting late. I just wanted to call and check in with you. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Call me in a few days and let me know you got home safe, alright?"

"Okay. Talk to you soon." She hung up the phone and I set mine on the bed next to me. Standing, I walked over to the dresser drawers in the wall. I pulled them out until I found some paper and I pen. Sitting back on the bed, I began to scribble out a note.

 _Everyone,_

 _I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you. It's not something I've taken lightly and I've thought about it with everything I have in me. I didn't want to tell anyone of you because I know you would try to stop me and I can't risk any more lives than I already have._

 _The other night, Tommy offered me the chance to join Rosita's army to be with him. He explained to me that the part of him still trying to be good wanted to be with me, regardless of how hard he tried to fight it. Tommy told me that if I joined them, he would let the rest of you guys go. I thought long and hard about my decision and I've come to realize that there was no choice to really make. Keeping you guys safe and being with Tommy is the only thing I've ever wanted. That's why I've decided to go with him. Once I'm there, I can try to find a way to take Rosita down from the inside. Tommy may even help me with this once he knows I'm willing to go with him._

 _Please don't be upset with me and please don't try to save me._

 _Love always,_

 _Kim_


	30. Chapter 30

The night air of the park was warm, the June weather beginning to turn to summer. The slight breeze blowing through the trees felt nice on my face as I walked the familiar path towards the pond. The moon was high above me, stars winkling all around it. I hugged my arms around myself, trying my bed to not cry. This was the hardest thing I have ever decided. Breaking up with Tommy had been difficult but the only ones it hurt were Tommy and me. This time, I felt like I was betraying my entire team, Zordon and the rest of the world.

I had to admit; the idea to join Tommy was one I had decided on as soon as he asked me. At first, it was out of selfishness. I knew I had to be with him, even if it meant joining the dark side. But as we continued to fight, I knew that I could be a huge assets in helping our team behind the scenes. If I showed Rosita I had come willingly, she wouldn't need to place a spell over me. I would have my own conscious thought and I could help over throw her without her even knowing. I knew if I had tried to tell Jason and the others, they would shoot me down before I could even finish my thought. That's why I needed to go and then have them find out about it. There was no other way around it.

Walking over to the large rock, I sat on it like I had the night before. I tugged my white jacket around me more, crossing my arms across me. I knew it was a little passed midnight. I wondered if he had come and gone, thinking I wasn't going to show. My question was quickly answered as he teleported a few feet away from me. We locked eyes for a moment, neither one of us moving. He wore a tight dark green t-shirt and light blue jeans, looking as if he was just coming back from a day with friends rather than a day trying to kill the Power Rangers. Clearing my throat, I stood up from the rock and took a step towards him.

"Did you decide?" He asked, looking at me cautiously.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I replied, my heart thudding in my chest. Every part of me was telling me to turn and run. Instead, I took a deep breath and stood, rooted to me spot. "Tommy, I need to know that you aren't going to let anything happen to the others. That they'll be safe." He walked towards me, stopping a few inches away from me.

"I gave you my word that they would be." He said softly, taking my hands in his. They felt warm and calloused like usual. "I'm glad you came. Even though I tried like hell to fight it, I couldn't stop the feelings I had for you. I'm going to take good care of you, Kim. You'll like it with Rosita. She's given me free run of the hotel and I can do what I please. I mean, Goldar and Strasser get old but you'll learn to ignore them."

"Will she put a spell on me too?" I asked, looking up at him. He shook his head.

"No. Once I tell her you decided to join us, she'll see that you don't need to be placed under spell. You'll have to prove yourself though. I'm sure it won't be too hard." He seemed excited, a smile plastered on his face. "C'mon. I'll take you to her right now. She'll be happy to see you." He pulled on my hand, heading for the park trail. Something inside of me screaming, making me stop. I felt tears prickle the back of my eyes as I shook my head.

"I can't." I whispered, pulling my hand from him. He turned back, looking at me confused.

"What?"

"I can't do this, Tommy. I can't turn my back on Zordon and the Power Rangers." My hands trembled as I glanced at him. "I tried. I really did. I can't do it though. I want nothing more in the world than to be with you but not if it means trying to take over the world as well."

"You're telling me no?" He asked, anger showing on his features. "I told you I wouldn't hurt your precious friends! What else do you want from me, Kim?"

"I want you to come back to the Command Center with me. Let us fix you!" I said, grabbed his hand.

"NO!" He roared, shoving me. I stumbled back, falling to the ground.

"Kimberly!" A voice called from behind Tommy. Looking up, I saw Jason come sprinting from the tree line. Tommy turned, standing in front of me facing Jason. Jason skidded to a stop, glaring at Tommy.

"I should have known you weren't too far away from her." Tommy sneered, glaring at Jason.

"Let her go, Tommy." Jason called out, taking a defensive stand. Tommy shook his head, let out a dark chuckle.

"Gee, Jason. Does Trini know you came here, running after Kim? I'm sure she'd love that. The two of you should just fuck and get the whole thing over with. We're all getting pretty tired of the best friend act the two of you going on. I'm sure Trini sees it too."

"I don't know what idea you have but it's not like that, man." Jason said. "Kim loves you and you know that."

"It doesn't matter anyway. Once I destroy you and the rest of the Power Rangers, she'll have no one to choose over me anymore." Above our heads, there was a loud crackling noise. The three of us glanced up as I stood up. There were flashes of white light now, putties appearing with them. I took a defensive stance, surprised that Tommy did the same thing towards a putty. I heard him swear under his voice as another loud crackle happened. Goldar appeared now, his large golden sword in hand.

"Green Ranger! You have defied our empress! She is not impressed with your actions!" He called out, pointing the sword at Tommy.

"Shut up, you ugly ape." Tommy said. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I was just about to take care of the original red ranger." There was another loud crackle noise and I felt someone standing behind me. Before I could turn, I felt an arm wrap around my torso and lift me out the ground. It was purple and wrapped in cold metal. Strasser. I let out a scream as I tried to break free. Tommy spun on his heels to see what was wrong. He glared at Strasser when he saw he was holding on to me.

"Come, Tommy. It's time to go home now." Strasser said, pointing his staff at Tommy. He raised it and slammed on the ground. We disappeared, leaving Jason with the army of putties. I heard him call my name as we vanished into thin air.


	31. Chapter 31

We teleported to the Seventh Floor where I was promptly shackled to a pair of thick iron handcuffs and hung from the ceiling. As I dangled there, I watched as Goldar and Strasser spoke to one another off in the corner. Tommy was no where to be found, the floor of the room still coated in a thick fog. The throne was set up in the same spot, the large sphere now floating next to it. It was still green, the color intensity of it changing slowly as it hung in the air. I pulled against my chains, trying to slip out of them. It was no use though. They were too tight to slip through and to heavy to break.

My attention was suddenly drawn to Strasser and Golder who rushed over to the throne and knelt before it. Glancing around, I saw one of the doors on the wall open and Rosita entered. She slinked into the room like she owned it. Of course, she actually did own it. She was dressed in gold robes, her long black hair braided down her back. She casted me a smirk before sitting in her chair. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she sat back and crossed her legs. On the arm of the throne, a snake crawled its way up to her arm and wrapped itself around it. It resembled the one her father used to have wrapped around him while he sat in the throne. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked around for any sign of Tommy.

"Bring me the green ranger." Rosita purred, petting the top of the snake's head. Goldar stood and made his way over to the second door. Yanking it open, he reached in and pulled Tommy through it. He tossed Tommy to the floor in front of the throne, making him drop to his knees. Tommy hung his head low, his eyes glancing at me for a moment before looking at her.

"My empress." Tommy said, folding his hands in front of him.

"Tommy, Goldar tells me that you have snuck out to visit with your old friends. Is this true?" She asked, gazing down at Tommy.

"Yes, my empress. I was attempting to have the pink ranger join our forces. The former red ranger interrupted us though and then Goldar and Strasser butted in."

"I see. And why did you want the pink ranger to join our forces?" She asked, smirking down at Tommy. She looked like a viper, ready to strike its prey. Her eyes were almond shaped and now I noticed they had a slight red tint to them, similar to Zedd's skin. "She isn't their strongest fighter by any means. She's injured as well, correct? What purpose would she serve on our team?"

"She's agile and can hold her own in a fight." Tommy replied. "She's also smart and knows the Power Rangers very well. She would know their plans." Rosita shot me a quick glance before stroking her shin with a long red nail.

"I suppose you are right about that. I wish you would have spoke to me about this first, though." Standing, her heels clicked as she started my way. "What is your name, pink ranger?" She asked, stopping a few inches from me. Behind her, Tommy sat up straight and locked eyes with me. He nodded slightly, trying to convince me to speak. Rosita noticed I was looking past her shoulder. Turning, she noticed Tommy now facing us.

"Kimberly." I said, trying to get her attention back to me. She slowly faced me again, an unreadable expression on my face. "You should know that. I stayed here."

"I have a lot of guests every day. I don't tend to take notice of them all." The snake slid up her arm and wrapped around her shoulders. It was a ball python, the green, brown and black designs on it's back standing out against the gold robe she wore. She stroked the top of it's head and it closed its eyes, like a cat getting petted. "Tommy and Kimberly. As I recall, the two of you had a history while you were Power Rangers before. Is that right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I pulled against my restraints, wanting to punch her in the face. I didn't like how she was looking at me and I didn't like how I was alone. Jason and Trini had been right. Look where my stupidity landed me. I still didn't know if Jason was okay after being left surrounded by putties.

"Yes, empress." Goldar answered, his black eyes glancing back and forth between Rosita and me. "They were betrothed."

"Ah. I see." Rosita purred, kissing the nose of the snake. Bright red lip stick was painted on her lips, making her skin paler in comparison. She was quite beautiful for being an evil witch. "Were you going to join our side, Kimberly?" She asked, not looking at me. Tommy gave me another hopeful look, this time with urgency.

"No." I said through gritted teeth. Tommy rolled his eyes, falling back on his heels in frustration. "I would never leave my friends to join evil."

"You left your friends to meet with Tommy though. Wouldn't they consider him evil?" She asked, her voice light like she had just asked a simple question. "You've met with him before this as well. I'm sure your friends weren't too pleased about that. Explains why the former red ranger followed you there. He knew he couldn't trust you to stay away from Tommy." Reaching up, she ran her finger down the side of my cheek. I pulled my face away, glaring at her.

"What is it about Tommy that you can't stay away from?" She asked, heading back towards her throne. She stopped in front of it, the snake sliding off of her and back to it's place on the arm of the chair. Bending over in front of Tommy, she placed two fingers under his chin. She drew him up from the floor, walking in a slow circle around him. "I mean, he is quite handsome. I've seen him from your youths. The hair was quite fetching. He's strong and the best fighter on your team. Those eyes are delicious as well." She ran a hand over his chest as she walked around him. Rage began to run through me as I watched her touch him. "I'm sure when he holds you, you feel safe and protected in these strong arms. He's quite the man, Kimberly. I can see why you love him. Does he love you, though?" She casted a glance towards me before stopping next to Tommy. She grabbed his chin and turned his head to look down at her. He had a good foot on her height. "Tommy, are you still in love with Kimberly?"

"No, empress." Tommy spoke, his eyes flashing green. Behind them, the orb flashed as well. "I only love you, my empress." I felt my breath hitch as I watched through tear clouded eyes as he leaned in and kissed Rosita. I let out a frustrated grunt as I yanked on the cuffs again, trying my best to get out of them. I didn't know what I was going to do if I did. I knew it would involve hurting her in anyway possible. I knew Tommy was under a spell but hear him say he didn't love me and then watching him kiss another woman was worse than having someone stab a knife into my chest. Tommy pulled away, standing up straight.

"Empress Rosita, the Power Rangers are in the park. They are trying to find the pink one." Strasser spoke, breaking up the tension filled silence.

"Goldar, take the putties and deal with them. We're almost ready for the next phase of our plan." Rosita replied, moving towards her throne. "Tommy, you may keep Kimberly as a present for your hard work. Keep her in your chambers and see if you can pull any information from her. I trust that your judgement will no longer waiver."

"As you wish, Empresses." Tommy and Goldar both said. Goldar stood and teleported from the room. Strasser left as well, using the last remaining door to exit. Taking long strides, Tommy walked over to me and released my chains from the ceiling. I was still bounded by my wrists as he pulled me behind him. I shot a hot glare at Rosita as I passed her, a wide grin on her face while she waved. I pulled on the chains, bringing Tommy to a short stop.

"You aren't going to win, Rosita. Your mother and father couldn't beat us. Why do you think their spoiled little brat could?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes and moved suddenly, almost like a flash. She was on me before I could move, her hand around my throat. It wasn't tight enough to restrict my breathing, but I could feel her nails digging into my skin. She glowered down at me, her face inches from mine.

"You knew nothing of my parents, ranger. I made a vow to them that I would finish off Earth once and for all to avenge their deaths."

"They aren't dead." I spat, glaring up at her. "They were purified. Your parents are still alive." She let out a dark laugh, shaking her head.

"You silly pathetic woman. Do you think I'd allow my parents to continue to live in such a manner? I made sure they were put out of their mercy long ago. Zordon will pay for what he's done to my family by watching all of his precious Power Rangers suffer one by one." She squeezed tighter. "Starting with you."

"I'm not afraid of you. Neither are the other rangers. Trust me. There is no way this will end with you winning." I said between labored breaths. Her grip was just tight enough to make breathing difficult. She made a noise, a smile appearing on her lips. She released me, taking a step back.

"Enjoy your time with her, Tommy. She dies tonight." She tossed over her shoulder, heading back to the throne.


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi everyone! Hope you all are still enjoying the story. This chapter is quite long and apologize for that. There was just so much and I fought with making a chapter break until I decided not to.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy and I own nothing!**

Tommy led me through a dark corridor, the only sound coming from the chains as we walked. He stopped in front of a dark green door. Shoving it open, he pulled me inside and shut it behind me. We were standing in a bedroom, much like the rooms of the hotel. Everything was a different hue of green however. From the walls, to the bed to the silk sheets. Green was everywhere. Tommy swore under his breath, digging through the top drawer of a dresser near the door. "You should have just said yes. We could have avoided all that." He said, revealing the spell hadn't rooted itself deeper as I had feared.

"Don't talk to me." I replied, moving away from him. The anger in my chest was back, this time burning hotter than before. Leaning against a bare spot on the wall, I slid down til I was sitting on the floor.

"What? You're mad at me?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder at me. He pulled what he was looking for out of the drawer. Holding up his fingers, I saw a pin between them. He walked over and knelt in front of me. Gruffly, he took my hands and began picking at the lock of the shackles. "I had to do that to survive. I'm surprise you even care. You weren't going to leave with me anyway."

"Excuse me for not wanting to join your evil army. Get to see you aren't under her spell at the moment." I said sarcastically, turning away from him. There were no windows in here, no sun light. I had no clue what time it was or even where in the hotel we were. The team was probably looking for me, trying to figure out how to save me. Without me there, they would be unable to form the Megazord. Now, they were facing Goldar and the putties. I heard the cuffs click and they opened. He slid them off my wrists and I wrapped my arms around myself.

"You're welcome." He muttered, leaning back against the bed. "Once I accepted it, I could do whatever the hell I want. Well, within reason. Look, I tried to do what I could, Kim. If you had just agreed to come with me, all of this could have been avoided."

"I can't believe you." I whispered, shaking my head. "I don't care what kind of spell she has on you. Those are your friends! This is our home! We grew up here, remember? We spent years trying to protect it just for someone to come take it over. I can't just let that happen. Tommy, you need to try harder to fight off this spell. If you love me at all, you need to find it in you somewhere that she isn't the one who you should be working for." I gave him a pleading look. He took a deep breath, staring down at his lap.

"Kim, I've tried. Really. I just don't see that point any more. Working for Zordon is just putting off the evitable. Rosita is going to find a way to take over the planet rather I'm here or not. If you can't beat them, join them. She promised me that my family and loved ones would have a place in her new empire. I can't risk their lives." Tommy looked like he was struggling with something internally. His forehead creased as he looked off towards the wall across from him. "I did this to protect you."

"Then you need to help me stop her." I said, pulling myself up onto my knees. "If you want to protect me, we need to get out of here."

"That's a whole lot easier said than done." He said, glancing at me. "This place is a fortress. There's no point."

"Is it true?" I whispered, braving myself to lock eyes with him. "You don't love me anymore?"

"Don't be stupid." He retorted, pursing his lips. "I had to say something to think you weren't important to me anymore."

"Oh."

"Even under this spell, I can't shake my feelings for you. It's not the greatest thing but I can't help it. Dr. Oliver is more annoying than you would think." Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "What's your plan?" I looked at him, confused.

"What?"

"If you want my help, you better have one hell of a plan. Cause when she catches us, we're both dead."

"What about the spell?"

"I told you already. I accepted it and moved on. Once I did that, I was able to get my freewill back. It's like walking around without a soul, I guess. Now, what are we going to do?" He asked.

"We have to get out of here and help the others." I replied, standing. He rolled his eyes as he pulled himself to his feet.

"I knew you were going to say that." He mumbled. "Fine. How do you plan on getting out of here? The only way out is through the stairwell on the Seventh Floor. Someone will see us if we go that way."

"There's no other way out of here? What about a service elevator or something?" I asked, pacing the floor. "Are there any windows on this floor at all?"

"Yeah. In Rosita's chambers." I frowned, crossing my arms. "And no elevator. She didn't want to risk any guests making it up here on accident."

"We're going to have to try the Seventh Floor then." I said, biting my lip. "We can teleport from there. We've done it before." He nodded.

"I suppose. I am going to see if she is still in there. Stay in here. Don't move." He stressed, walking out the door. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my sneakers while I waited. Fear filled my chest as I realized what we were about to do. If Tommy and I run out there and we get caught, that's it. I couldn't morph, my morpher back at the Command Center. I made sure to leave it there so that Rosita couldn't get possession of it. The only thing I could really do is teleport and that's depending on if Alpha can lock on my location. Tommy had more power here though. He still had the ability to morph and teleport as he pleased. As scared as I was, I knew I had no other choice.

I about jumped out of my skin when Tommy came back into the room. "She's gone. We won't have long. Once we get to the room, we need to get to the spot where you can teleport." He said, looking down at me. Walking back over to his dresser, he picked up a tablet from the top of it. He pressed on the screen a few times and it lit up.

"What's that?"

"An energy scanner. Almost like the one we had in the cave. I use it to track the Power Rangers." He replied, scanning the device. "Goldar and the putties are still fighting them in the park."

"We should teleport to the Command Center. We can explain everything to Zordon then and we can work on reversing the spell." Tommy rolled his eyes.

"That inflated head gets more annoying than Jason." He muttered, tossing the device on the bed. Shaking my head, I pulled myself to my feet.

"What did Jason do that was so wrong, Tommy?" I asked. He waved me off, not answering the question.

"C'mon. If we're going to do this, we need to do it now." Walking towards the door, he opened it and peered up the hallway. He motioned me to follow him out, both of us beelining for the Seventh-Floor main area. No one was in there when we entered the room. Bringing my communicator to my mouth, I pressed the button.

"Alpha, it's Kim. I need to be teleported." I said into the speak. Static answered me, telling us we weren't in deep enough to get the signal. I glanced at Tommy who nodded, walking towards the door of the stairway. Reaching behind him, he took my hand in his as we crossed the room. The fog on the floor was coming in thicker now, rising to almost my waist. I brought my wrist back to my mouth. Pressing the button on the side of it, it chirped.

"Kimberly!" Alpha's voice called, sounding hopeful. "I heard you. We are trying to get a lock on you. There is something jamming the signal. Hang on."

"Hurry, Alpha." I replied.

"Leaving so soon?" Rosita's voice said behind us, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Fear prickled in my chest as Tommy and I turned. Rosita sat perched in her throne, laying as if she was watching television. She had changed her clothing now. The robe was gone. She was dressed in a tight fitting red dress, the same metal armor wrapped around her like it was the other day. Rita's staff was in her hand as she gazed over at us. I felt sweat forming in Tommy's hand as he glared over at her. "Tommy, you are so adorably predictable."

"Let her go." He said, the vein in his temple sticking out slightly like it used to when he was mad. "You want me. Let Kim go." Laughing, Rosita drew herself up to her feet. She wore tall black stiletto boots that clicked as she walked towards the green orb floating near her throne.

"It's amazing how you were able to regain control with my spell on you. I feared that would happen after you saw Kimberly again. Let me fix this for you." Reaching out, she ran her hand over the orb. It glowed a bright green color, illuminating the room in green light. Tommy let out a sharp gasp as he dropped my hand to grab his head. He swore and bent over, his face screamed with pain. In my head, I pleaded with Alpha to hurry the hell up and teleport me out of the there.

"Tommy?" I asked, stepping towards him. He suddenly stood up straight, his eyes flashing green as he glared towards me.

"Pink Ranger, you're going nowhere." He snarled, taking a step forward in my direction. I stepped back, turning my back to Rosita. The green didn't leave Tommy's eyes. They seemed to pulsate with the effect as he matched my steps.

"Take care of her once and for all, my Green knight!" Rosita called, a dark purr in her voice as she spoke. Tommy held his hands out in front of him and the Dragon dagger appeared in his palms with a flash of green. My heart hammered in my chest as fear washed over me. He took the handle of the dagger in his right hand and ran towards me. I flipped backwards, landing a few feet away in the fog. Laying on my stomach, I stayed still. He scanned the room, trying to find me through the thick fog. Rosita watched with sick amusement as Tommy stalked the area.

"Kimmie, I know you're in here. Just come out. It'll be so much quicker and less painless if you do." He cooed, a shiver running up my spine. He lurked closer, his eyes darting over me a few times. Frantically, I tried to think of a plan. I needed to kill time until alpha could get me out of here.

"Kimberly!" Alpha's voice called from my communicator, making Tommy spin towards me. His green glowing eyes caught sight of me in the fog. I leapt to my feet, kicking him square in the chest. Flying backward, he bounced off the wall next to the sphere.

"I'm here, Alpha." I said into my communicator. Tommy pushed off the wall and charge me again, swinging the dagger towards my throat. I ducked, rolling to the right. Popping up again, I kicked his feet from under him. He didn't fall though. He managed to keep his balance as I did a back-hand spring towards the door.

"Just a few more minutes! We've locked on to your location." Alpha said. A flash of green made me glance up and I saw the Dragon dagger come hurling through the air towards me. Shifting to the left, I avoided certain death as it stuck into the door from behind me. Waving his hand, the dagger vanished and reappeared in Tommy's hand again. His eyes continued to pulsate green as Rosita stroked the orb behind him. That must be how she is controlling him, I thought. Each time she touches the globe, his eyes flash. If I destroy the sphere, it would break the control she has over him. My eyes turned to Tommy again who reached down to his belt line where his morpher was. A slight smirk spread across his lips as his fingers touched the dino gem.

"Shit." I muttered, knowing what he was about to do. I rolled out of the way as he vanished and reappeared where I had been standing. I landed on my feet between the throne and Tommy. He spun to face me, his eyes flashing again.

"You can't win." He said, stepping towards me. "You're never getting out of here."

"Tommy, you need to try and push through!" I exclaimed, giving him a pleading look. "Forget about Rosita and Zordon. It's me. It's Kimberly."

"Yes, Tommy." Rosita purred, her voice sounding like velvet. "It's Kimberly. The very girl who broke your heart all those years ago. The girl who left you for Jason." I glared at her over my shoulder. That all made sense now. She was lying to him about Jason and me. She was feeding into the insecurities he had during our split. That was what was bringing out the dark parts of him. Even though we had told him nothing like that was going on between us, the spell was making him belief it was true anyway.

"That's not true." I said, stepping to the left. He followed, leaving a space between him and the door. I was a good ten yards away from it though. "You gave me your blessing to leave, Tommy. I only broke up with you because of the accident. We've talked about this."

"You're nothing but a liar." He said softly, glaring me down. He went to step forward and I slid around him, booking it towards the door. A hard force hit me in the right calf, a searing pain following it that dropped me to the floor. Pulling my leg towards me, I saw the Dragon dagger sticking out from my calf. Blood pooled down my skin and soaked the silver of the blade. Tears streamed down my face from the pain. It felt like my skin was on fire and that my leg was beginning to melt. Gripping the hand, I bit my lip as I pulled it out of my leg. A new pain came with it before my whole leg went numb. The dagger disappeared from my grasp though as someone grabbed the hair on the top of my scalp. I let out a yelp as Tommy dragged me towards Rosita and her throne.

"Good boy, Tommy. Leave her right there." Rosita said, pointing at the ground next to the throne. Tommy tossed me like a rag doll, pain shooting through my whole body as I landed on my stomach. Sweat and tears mixed together on my face as I forced myself to sit up. Blood was soaking into my clothes and I felt myself weave in and out of consciousness from the pain. I was at the base of the throne, Rosita towering over me as she walked around my body to stand next to Tommy. Reaching up, she placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed him until he was kneeling in front of me. "Kimmy, Kimmy, Kimmy." She said, a slight chuckle behind the words. The hair on my arms stood on end, recognizing her voice.

"It was you. You sent me the vision at Tommy's house." I strained, trying my best to pull myself off the ground. I collapsed when I tried to put weight on my injured leg.

"Guilty as charged. I knew you two were Power Rangers when you were here that first night. That's why I placed the spell in Tommy's wine that night. As soon as he touched that dino gem, he was mine for the taking. His soul was dead the second the two of you walked in here."

"Tommy." I said softly, pulling myself to my knees. I slid over so that I was kneeling in front of him. Grabbing his face, I made him look at me. His eyes weren't flashing green anymore but they we empty. Empty like I was staring into a lifeless person. "Please, Tommy. Don't leave me. I'm here. I'm never going to leave you again." I whispered, a tear sliding down my cheek. Leaning in, I pressed my lips to his. I pulled back when I felt a droplet of water on my hand. A tear slid down Tommy's cheek as his eyes shifted to mine.

"Now, Tommy." Rosita's voice demanded above us. I saw Tommy's elbow pull back before I saw the glint of the dagger. He plunged it forward, tearing into my midsection.

Being stabbed doesn't hurt. It's not like the movies where you would see someone get stabbed in the stomach and they fall down and die. I realized this as Tommy dug the dragon dagger into the pit of my stomach. I felt the blade enter but the pain was only present for a moment or two as it tore my skin open. The rest of the motion was mainly pain free as I felt myself fall backwards from the force of the blow. I was now laying on my back, looking up at the black ceiling above my head. The fog had died down now and there was only a light layer of it forming around me. Shakily, I raised my hand and saw that the dagger was still imbedded into my body. When I breathed, it moved along with my belly. _Oh, this can't be good_ , I thought looking back up at the ceiling. I didn't move to pull it out, fear of my blood pouring out faster then. Darkness hugged the corners of my vision as I tried to concentrate on what to do next.

 ** _Alpha. I needed to call Alpha._**

Weakly, I brought my wrist to my face and pressed the button. "Alpha." I managed to say in a faint voice. "Help."

"I'm trying, Kimberly! Billy is here to help too!" Alpha answered back. I dropped my arm back down to my side, shifting my eyes to look at Rosita. She still stood above Tommy, staring down at me like she was watching something interesting. All the anger and rage I had for her vanished now as I laid there. I felt nothing. It was like instead of blood coming from my body, my emotions were flowing out.

"It's a pity. I really thought I would see love conquer all here today." Rosita spoke, drawing my attention back to her. She gently stroked the top of Tommy's head, her fingers running through her hair like I love to do. I had promised Tommy I would do that for the rest of our lives after this. How was I going to be able to do that when I'm dead? We had made plans, sort of. Dying here wasn't one of them. No. I couldn't lay here and let this be the end of us.

"It…still…can." I said, pushing myself up so I was sitting up. Rosita shot me an amused look as I leaned against the throne, trying to catch my breath. "Tommy and I have faced…a whole lot meaner people…than you. I won't give up…this easy." I said, lightheadedness hitting me.

"You can barely stand, pink ranger. How else do you plan on fighting for Tommy?" She asked, smiling at me. Reaching up, I grabbed the arm of the throne and pulled myself to my feet. I felt like I had run a marathon, my muscle ached all over my body and I felt like I was going to pass out any minute. Tommy didn't speak but his eyes followed me as I moved.

"I will fight…until the minute I die." I said, glaring at her.

"Alright. If you want Tommy so bad, I'll make you a deal. Fight me for him right here and now. If you win, I'll set him free. If not, I'll kill you both." She said, holding her arms out to challenge me. There was a glint in her eye, her knowing there was no way I could physically fight her in my condition right now. I shook my head, placing my hand on the handle of the dagger.

"I learned a long time ago…to not make deals…with people like you." I said, ripping the dagger from my stomach in a quick movement. Gripping it hard, I swung the dagger and slammed it into the globe behind me.

"NO!" Rosita screamed as the blade shattered the globe. Pieces of glass flew every where as the green light inside of it sent me flying backwards. I landed on the other side of the room, glass digging into my skin as I skidded to a stop. I felt blood gushing from my open wound now, the dagger no longer keeping it inside of me.

"Kimberly?" Tommy's voice asked, his figure becoming blurring as I turned to face him. Dark shadows moved, and I saw Rosita's disappear with a cloud of smoke. Blinking, I focused my vision.

"Tommy." I whispered. He sprinted over to me, his eyes wide in shock and horror at the sight of me.

"Kim! We're teleporting you now!" Billy's voice said before Tommy and I were teleported out of the Seventh Floor.


	33. Chapter 33

**Hi guys! So, Kim was stabbed and she broke the green glowing globe. I wonder what that means...**

 **The next few chapters are going to be flash backs for when they were kids. I didn't want anyone to get confused as to why it jumped from Kim getting gutted to happy times. We're heading towards the end!**

 **As always, thanks for R &R! And I don't own the Power Rangers. If I did, I would share. :)**

The sun was shining as I walked through Angel Grove Park. Children were gleefully playing on the playground while their parents visited with each other on benches nearby. In the field across from the playground, I saw a group of my friends playing flag football. Jason and Trini waved as I passed, Billy and Zack chasing each other down the field. I waved back, the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach building as I neared the edge of the pond.

I spotted Tommy before he spotted me. He was standing on the large boulders near the water's edge, his arms and legs moving swiftly as he practiced his kata. His face was serious, filled with concentration as he moved. I slowly approached, taking the sight of him in as I did. Behind him, the small water fall babbled softly. On the other side of the pond, families enjoyed picnics while their children ran around with kites. Tommy was in his own world, his green t-shirt moving around his muscles as his arms methodically shifted with each planned movement.

My heart fluttered as I watched him. It was crazy that I felt this way. From the moment I first saw Tommy at the youth center, there was something about him that made me feel special. Even when we were battling him under Rita's control, I couldn't get the thought of him out of my head. When I tried talking to my mother about it, all she did was smile at me with a goofy look and say something about young love. Love? Was I in love with Tommy? It was foolish to think I was, really. I'm only sixteen years old. Who falls in love at such a young age?

Tommy shifted on the rock, his back turning to me as he went further along in his kata. I started walking again, stopping a few feet away. As he moved, his eyes caught mine and he turned to face me. A smile spread across his face as he stood up straight. "They said back at the gym I'd find you here." I said, feeling my nerves grow even large as I found the will to speak.

"Yeah." He replied, hopping of the rock and landing on the grass. He took a couple steps towards me. "I like practicing outside sometimes. You know? Smell the fresh air."

"How are you doing?" I asked, trying like hell to find a calmness inside me somewhere. He placed his hands on his hips as he looked down at me.

"I'm hanging. I've been working on my karate and focusing on my school work. I'm just trying to keep busy, you know?"

"We miss you." I said, sweat forming in my palms. That's not what I wanted to say. I willed myself to speak the truth. He smiled, closing his left eye because of the sun.

"Yeah. You guys were a team long before I showed up. It'll all be back to normal before long." My breath hitched as I swallowed, glancing at the ground then back up at him.

"I miss you." I held my breath as my soft admission came out. He looked shocked for a moment, a smile spreading on his lips after that. Reaching out, he took my left hand in his right hand. He looked down at it, stroking my fingers with his thumb. The sun reflected brightly off my communicator around my wrist. I watched him, sure that he could hear my heart thundering in my chest as he stepped closer to me. Suddenly, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against mine. My chest nearly exploded with happiness as I closed my eyes, leaning into the kiss. Pulling back, Tommy let out a happy sigh.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"Me too." I admitted, smiling up at him. He laughed.

"Whew. Well, I guess now that's over with, my next question is a piece of cake."

"What's that?" I asked, loving the fact he was still holding my hand in his.

"Kimberly, will you be my date for the dance Saturday night?" Oh, this was turning out greater than I had hoped. Smirking, I turned on my heel and faced the other way. I heard him take a nervous breath. "Well?" He asked. "Kimberly!" I let out a loud chuckle, turning back around. I nudged him in the arm.

"I didn't want to make it too easy for you. Of course, I'll be your date to the dance."

"Yes!" He replied, a smile breaking across his face. Bending down, he picked me up under the arm pits and twirled me around. Giggles escaped my lips as he did, my pink flannel dress billowing around my pink leggings as he did. He set me back down, pulling me in for a hug.

 **-X-X-**

"Hey, beautiful." A warm voice said in my ear, making me shift in my seat. Tommy stood behind me, his gym back hanging from his shoulder. I smiled up at him as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

"Hi, handsome. How was practice?" I asked, turning my stool at the juice bar to face him. He smirked.

"Brutal. I'm glad I get to look at you now." Leaning in again, he brushed his lips against mine. His long hair fell over the side of his face, tickling my cheek.

"I'm ready for our date if you are." I said. He nodded, glancing at the clock.

"I've been ready all day." I smiled at him, slipping out of the stool. Reaching out, he took my hand in his and we walked out of the youth center. The sun was shining brightly outside, resting high in the sky. The Saturday afternoon was warm, and people were out enjoying the ending days of summer vacation. School would be starting in a few weeks, no one quite ready to head back to class.

"Did you get your schedule in the mail yesterday?" Tommy asked as we walked lazily along the path of the park. His thumb stroked the back of my hand as we stepped. I nodded.

"Yeah. I got Appleby, Henderson and Randall. My year is going to be rough. You?"

"Same! Least we'll have classes together. I'm kinda worried about science this year. Not sure if chemistry will really be my thing." He said, frowning.

"Hey. You'll be great! And we have Billy who will be in our class. I'm sure he'll be willing to help if we need it." I replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He nodded, a small smile spreading across his lips as he glanced down at me.

"You're right. You always know the right thing to say."

"I try my best." He led me off the path and over to the edge of the water.

"Kim, there's something I want to talk to you about." His face suddenly looked serious as he took my other hand in his.

"Okay. You're scaring me a bit, Tommy."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to. I just…I know we've been spending a lot of time together and we've gone out a couple times. I just wanted to know what we…are?" He asked, sounding nervous.

"Oh. Well…I kinda wondered the same thing too." Biting my lip, I casted my eyes up to look at him. The green tank top he was wearing showed off his tanned muscles and his hair was brushed out of his eyes. "What do you want to be?"

"I'd like to be able to call you my girlfriend." He confessed, giving me a small smirk. "That is, if it's okay with you?" I couldn't help but hide the huge smile the filled my face.

"I'd like that very much."


	34. Chapter 34

"Night, guys!" Tommy called out, waving behind him as Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy headed towards Jason's pick up. It had been a brutal night of training at the Command Center. With Lord edd now in control, we needed to be on our toes. It was taking it's toll on us though. It felt like every day we were getting our butts kicked. When we weren't, we were going through training exercises to learn how to fight his new putties and the stronger monsters he had.

It was nearing midnight now, the moon rising high in the sky as Tommy and I walked up the street towards the parking lot where his jeep was parked. Every muscle in my body ached and I saw a hot shower in my future. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying my best to stretch it out. Tommy noticed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "How you feeling?" He asked. I shrugged, leaning into him.

"Like I got my ass kicked. Twice. You?" He chuckled, nodding his head.

"I hear ya. I don't know how Billy does it but those training models are almost as bad as the real thing. I hurt in places I didn't know existed."

"Me too. I think I'm going to go home and take a bath. Then, I'm going to get in my favorite pajamas and sleep til noon tomorrow." I replied, daydreaming about sleep. Since Zedd popped up, sleeping hasn't been something any of us had gotten to enjoy.

"That sounds fantastic." Tommy said, pulling me to a stop. There was a street light ahead, making his white jeep glow under it. The park was empty now, no one daring to walk it at night in fear of putties or monsters appearing. The attacks had been lesser than they had been when he first appeared, but the fear still lingered in the people of Angel Grove. "You fought great today. You're karate is definitely improving." I smiled up at him.

"That cause I have a hot teacher." He blushed as I winked at him. Sighing, I looked up at the night sky. Stars seemed to sparkle above us, like glitter in ink. "Look at al the stars. I think this is the first time in a long time I've had a chance to see how beautiful they are."

"They sure are." Tommy murmured, wrapping his arms around me. He suddenly paled, stumbling back a few steps.

"Tommy! Are you okay?" I asked, grabbing his arm to help steady him. I helped him walked to his jeep so he could lean against it. He nodded, sweat pouring down his face. He wiped his brow, the color slowly coming back to his cheeks.

"Yeah. This happens sometimes after I use my powers. It just takes my body some getting used to. That's all." I frowned, not letting go of his arm. His powers have been draining at an all time high now. Zordon wasn't able to recharge him any more at risk to both of them. We all knew it was only a matter of time before Tommy's Green Ranger powers were completely gone. Even though no one wanted to say it was true, I knew in my heart that it would be sooner than we were ready for. Cursing under his breath, he kicked a rock near his foot. "It's coming, Kim. And I have no clue what to do." He spoke softly.

"Zordon said he was going to find a way to fix your powers, Tommy. You have to keep the faith."

"It's kinda hard to do when I'm watching my girlfriend fighting powerful monsters while I'm sitting in the Command Center. I want to be out there, fighting along side with you guys. What if something happens to you or Jason or the others and I could have prevented it from happening?" He ran a hand through his hair, his brown locks falling over his face slightly. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my lips.

"I feel the same way about you. How do you think I would feel if you were hurt or worse because you were pushing your powers too far? You just need to play it safe until we figure something out. I know it sucks but this has to happen like this." He nodded, turning to look at me.

"I know. Thank you. For everything. You've been my rock through this whole thing. I love you, Kim." My heart skipped three beats as it registered in my brain what he had just said.

"I love you too, Tommy." I whispered, standing on my tippy toes to kiss him.

-X-

"Kim-."

"Don't talk to me."

"Just let me-."

"No, Tommy." I snapped over my shoulder as I stormed through the halls of the Command Center. Tommy came up behind me, his foot steps echoing off the walls as he followed.

"The least you can do is let me explain." I skidded to a halt, turning to face him.

"You want to explain how you managed to forget our one-year anniversary? Cause I'm all ears right now."

"I forget everything! I'm lucky I get to morph anywhere cause I'd forget the spandex at home every time if that were the case." I shook my head, glaring at him. His long hair was pulled back in a pony tail and there was still a wet ring of sweat around the neck of his white tank top from his work out with Rocky and Adam.

"This isn't funny! I asked you to spend this one day with me! ONE DAY. And you can't even remember to do that."

"The day isn't over yet! We can still spend it together." He said, trying to give me a small smile. I shook my head, crossing my arms in front of my chest. He looked at me, terrified. If anyone were to walk by right now, they would see giant Tommy getting his ass chewed out by his pint-sized girlfriend.

"Ever since you become the white ranger, it's like your mind is at the Moon Palace all the time. You barely remember your homework, you constantly forget to call me back and when you do, it's like I'm dragging you to things. What is going on, Tommy?"

"I'm the leader now, Kim. That's a lot more responsibility than I'm used to. I'm still trying to find a good balance for all of this. I'm not trying to be neglectful of you, beautiful. It just seems to be happening like that."

"You need to tell me these things! I can try to help you. The rest of us can help you with anything you need. You aren't the only one here. Just because you're the leader now doesn't me you need to do it alone." He shrugged, tucking his hands into the pockets of his black sweat pants.

"I know. It's just ever since Jason, Zack and Trini left, it's like everyone is looking to me for guidance and decisions. You and Billy have been Rangers longer than I have. I'm just worried I'll mess up and cost someone their life." Reaching out, I pulled his hands from his pockets and held them tightly.

"We are a team. All of us here. And you and me are a team. I'm not going to let you do any of this alone. You are crazy if you think that's the case!"


	35. Chapter 35

Rain pelted the windows of Tommy's jeep as he drove up the dirt road that led to his uncle's cabin. Mud splashed up the sides of the white vehicle as he pulled into the drive in front of the log house. He flashed me a smile as he grabbed our bags from the front seat. "Ready?" He asked, nodding towards the front door. I nodded, smiling back at him. Pulling the hood of his sweat shirt up, he hopped out of the jeep. I did the same, pulling my jacket up for some coverage. It did nothing though. I was soaked before I even had a chance to close the car door. I followed Tommy as he bolted up the front porch steps. He fumbled with the keys as a bolt of lightning filled the night sky. I let out a little yelp from shock as he managed to get the front door open. "Come on." He called over the sound of the rain on the tin roof above us.

Following Tommy inside, we fumbled through the dark for a moment. He found the lights as I shut the door behind me. The cabin lit up in a soft yellow glow, the small room feeling warmer by the second. You could tell it was owned by a man who loved nature. There wasn't much to it. In the middle of the room, there was an old couch with sunken in couches. Two end tables were on either side of it, lamps on them. There was a bear skin rug on the floor between the couch and the stone fireplace, minus the bear head. There was a small kitchen area off to the side and then two doors that lead to the bathroom and bed room. The walls were sparsely decorated with old fishing and hunting gear, a few scenic pictures spaced here or there. There was no television but there was a radio on the mantel above the fireplace.

"I see your uncle hasn't redecorated yet." I joked, shaking my hair out. I slid my pink wind breaker jacket out and hung it on the coat rack by the door. Tommy chuckled, pulling his soaked hoodie off. As he did, his torso was exposed for a second. I felt my eyes linger there longer than the should have, a slight blush filling my cheeks. I looked away before he could see, faking interest in some kind of fishing pole on the wall next to me.

"Yeah. He says it's the way he likes it. I told him I would start finding some stuff to make it more homey. He told me knock my socks off. Are you cold? I'll start a fire." I nodded, glancing over at him. Kneeling in front of the fire place, he quickly had a fire going. The sound crackled off the walls of the stone, warm air beginning to fill the same structure. Tossing down the long matches, he glanced at me. "Are you hungry? I brought snacks."

"No. I'm fine. I think I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom quick, okay?" He nodded quickly. Grabbing my bag from the floor, I walked into the bathroom. It was the size of a portable toilet, big enough for a shower, toilet and sink. I shut the door and leaned against it. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. I knew it was going to be stressful but I didn't imagine it would be like this. A few weeks ago, I had told Tommy that I wanted our two-year anniversary to be the night we lost our virginities. He had been shocked by my revelation, but I could tell he was excited by the idea. We made up excuses for our parents so we could be here alone. Zedd and Rita had been quiet for the passed few days. It was our chance to be normal teenagers. So why did I feel like I was going to vomit?

Opening my bag, I pulled out the soft pink nightie I had bought from the mall a few days ago. I had told Aisha about tonight and she suggested doing this. I loved it at the store but now as I looked at it, I grew more nervous. What if he hated it? What if I looked like a whale in it? I sighed, slouching my shoulders. Glancing up, I saw my reflection in the mirror. _You got this, Kim._ Nodding, I pulled off my dress and bra and slid into the night gown. It was made of cotton and felt soft on my skin. The straps were skinny, small gems sewn into them. The front was low cut, travelling down to the middle of my cleavage. It matched my underwear which I choose to leave on. Quickly, I brushed out my wet hair and put a light layer of make up on. Giving myself a mental pep-talk, I tool a deep breath and opened the door.

Tommy was perched on the arm of the couch, staring into space when I stepped out. His eyes popped open when he saw me, him climbing to his feet quickly. So quickly, he knocked over the lamp next to him. He caught it though, loosely putting it back without breaking his gaze on me. I stepped fully out of the bathroom, the wood floors feeling warm to my bare feet. I stopped a few feet away from him, my hands clasped behind me. They were clammy now as my nerves took hold. "Hi." I said softly.

"You…I mean…Kim…wow." He managed to say, looking me up and down. He seemed amazed, unable to speak.

"Tommy? You okay?" I asked, hoping he didn't hate it. He nodded quickly, clearing his throat.

"Yeah! Yeah. I'm fine." He said, locking eyes with me finally. "You look beautiful. Is that new?"

"Uh huh." I answered, looking down. "Do you like it?"

"I do. Listen, Kim. I know you said you wanted tonight to be the night. But if you aren't ready, I understand. We don't have to do this if you're not." I stepped towards him, crossing the empty space between us.

"No. I'm ready. I love you and you love me. There is no one else I would rather do this with, Tommy."

Bending, Tommy scooped me up in his arms and walked around to the rug. Together, we made for the first time. It was just like I heard of; painful at first but wonderful towards the end. Feeling Tommy's body against mine was a new feeling I found that I enjoyed. Afterwards, we laid there together, a blanket tossed over us. I laid with my back against his chest, rubbing his arms as they were wrapped around me tightly. He kissed my hair on the tops of my head, letting out a content sigh.

"I can't wait to marry you someday." He whispered, nuzzling his nose into the back of my neck. I smiled, closing my eyes. Imaging our wedding was something I loved to do, our colors shining everywhere with people who didn't understand questioning why.

"I can't wait for that either, handsome."


	36. Chapter 36

"Flight 611A is will be boarding in ten minutes." The man's voice said over the loudspeaker above our heads. At the sound of my flight number, I felt my chest tighten again. My hands trembled as I stood, turning to face Tommy. "I don't think I can do this." I said, feeling the tears well up in my eyes again. He cupped my cheek in his hand, tilting my head up to look at him.

"Hey. You are going to be great. You are going to go to Florida, kick some ass and bring me back a gold medal." He said softly, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "I'll be right here, rooting you on. And I'll try to fly down after the games to come see you."

"This is harder than I thought it was going to be." I said, trying my best to keep my sobs in. He wrapped his arms around me and they escaped into his chest. I clung to his white t-shirt as I cried, wishing I didn't have to leave this spot. I could take giving up my power coin. I could take leaving my friends. My parents weren't even an issue any more. Leaving Tommy though? I was ridiculous to think I could even do this. He held me against him, rubbing my back as he cried. I could hear the emotion in his breathing each time he inhaled. Shaky breathes followed that.

"Flight 611A is now boarding." The man's voice said. I felt my heart break as Tommy gently pulled me away so I was at arm's length.

"It's time to go, beautiful." He handed me a tissue from his pocket and I wiped my nose quickly. Shaking my head, I looked up at him.

"I can't do this. I can't go 3,000 miles away. I can't leave you."

"Yes, you can. You're going to get on that plane whether I have to drag you on it myself. Kim, this is your dream. You have to go after it or you are going to spend the rest of your life regretting it." I nodded, knowing he was right. "I will always be here for you. I'm a phone call away and maybe a teleport if Zordon doesn't know." He shot me a wink, causing a small giggle to escape my lips. Bending over, he picked up my carry on. "Come on."

Taking my hand, we walked towards the gate. I clutched his arm, leaning my head against his shoulder. We lingered behind everyone, watching them border. Raising our hands, he kissed the back of my hand. When we were the last ones, the man at the podium gave me an expectant look. "Are you bordering, dear?"

"Yeah." I answered, reluctantly giving him my bordering pass. He took it, looked it over and smiled at me. Handing it back, he stood by the door.

"You're the last one!"

"Just give me a minute?" I asked. He nodded, glancing at the clock. I turned to Tommy, seeing tears forming in his eyes. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too. But I'm going to call and write so much you'll be sick of me in no time." He wiped at his eyes, trying to hide the tears. I wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"I love you." I whispered, kissing his check.

"I love you too. Make me proud." Pulling back slightly, I pressed my lips against his. He pulled me tightly against him, all of his emotions coming out through our embrace. Tears slid down my face as Tommy gently nudged me towards the door. "I'll love you for the rest of my life. This is just the beginning of our story. I promise."

-X-

"I'm sorry I had to tell you this, Kim." Aisha's voice said in my ear. My hand holding the cordless phone hurt from the grip I had on it. The tears welling in my eyes burned as I maneuvered the wheelchair I was still using around my room. It bounced off the bed for the millionth time that day but I ignored it.

"It's fine, Aisha. Do you really think Tommy has feelings for her?" I asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"I do. They are spending a lot of time together. I didn't want you to find out from someone else. Billy, Rocky, Adam and I were worried and I knew I had to tell you." I heard some muffled voices on the other end. "Kim, I gotta go. My mom needs the phone. Call me later, okay? I'm so sorry." We bid our farewells before she hung up. I tossed the phone on the bed before erupting into quiet sobs. I cried so hard it made my back hurt, the stitches holding the skin of my back together fighting against my gut wrenching sobs. I was thankful my aunt was not home, leaving me alone in my misery. I had known this was coming. Before my accident, Aisha had mentioned that Tommy and Kat were spending a great deal of time together. I thought it was great but then it made me feel uneasy. It would be okay if I was there. Now that I was so far away, not so much. I'd been avoiding him though since my accident. It had been days since I'd last talked to him and when we did speak, I tried my best to make it sound like I was okay.

Slowly, I wheeled myself over to the desk in my room. I grabbed the stationary I used to write Tommy with and set it in my lap. Locking the chair, I slowly stood and climbed onto my bed. With blurry eyes, I wrote his name on the paper followed by the date. Taking a deep breath, I did my best to write without seeing, my tears too thick.

 _Dear Tommy,_

 _Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me ready as I'll every be for the competition. I hope you guys are doing well and that certain enemies aren't keeping you too busy._

 _Tommy, this is the hardest write I've ever had to write. You've always been my best friend and, in some ways, you're like a brother to me. But something has happened here that I can't explain. It's been both wonderful and painful at the same time. Tommy, I've met someone else. Tommy, you know I would never do anything to hurt you but I feel like I found he person I belong with. He's a wonderful, kind and caring person you'd really like. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for the fact of hurting you. I have to follow my heart but I will always care about you._

 _Tommy, please forgive me._

 _Love always,_

 _Kimberly_

Folding the letter, I tucked it into the matching envelop. Tears continued to streak down my face as I scrawled the address of the youth center on it. I thought about sending it to his house at first, but I knew he shouldn't be alone when he receives this. I couldn't bear the thought of the look on his face when he reads this. It was something I've been thinking about for a while now. It was useless to think that Tommy would want to be chained to me for the rest of my life, stuck with a wife who might not be able to walk in a few years. It wasn't fair to him to expect him to want to spend the rest of his life with me still. He's a good man though. I know he'd never break up with me because of that. This is what I needed to do to let him live his life.

Even if it's without me in it.


	37. Chapter 37

I awoke with a start, pain filling my entire body as I shot up out of bed. My heart hammered in my chest as I thought of the letter, almost sure I was still holding I in my hands. Looking down, I saw they were empty but I had an IV hooked up to my left wrist. Confused, I saw it was connected to the medical bay at the Command Center. I thought for a moment, trying to remember why I was here. The last thing I could recall was being here, talking to Jason. Had there been an attack here? Was everyone okay? Shifting, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach. Moving he sheet that was tucked in around me, I saw I was in a hospital gown. Moving the cloth, I saw I had a small gash in my abdomen. Everything came rushing back at that moment. The park. The Seventh Floor. Rosita. Tommy stabbing me.

"TOMMY!" I called out, looking around the medical bay frantically. I had broken the globe. He was free for a moment. I saw it. I swung my legs out over the edge of the bed and stood, ignoring the lightheadedness. Pulling the IV bag behind me, I walked slowly out of the medical bay. I could hear talking coming from the control room as I walked. The pain was dull and achy, the IV pole helping me. Stepping through the doorway, I saw that Trini and Jason were looking at the viewing globe. Both were looking at it with a look of concern, Jason's mouth closed tightly. "What's going on?" I asked, causing them to jump. Trini's eyes widened when she saw me and Jason quickly moved to support me.

"Kim! What are you doing up? You were stabbed for Christ's sake." Jason muttered, helping me sit in one of the chairs in the room.

"I'm fine. What's going on?" I asked, motioning towards the viewing globe. I saw the team fighting, Strasser there as well as Goldar.

"Strasser attacked town hall. It's been non-stop since you broke Tommy's spell." Trini explained. I smiled.

"I broke it?" I asked. She nodded, giving me a small smile. On the viewing globe, Tommy came into view. He was fighting one on one with Strasser, his dagger flying left and right as they exchanged blows.

"I don't know how you did it but you did. He's not fully there and we'll still have to purify him once we defeat Rosita but he's back on our side." Jason said, looking at the globe. "Rosita is pulling out all the stops now though. I think she's trying to send a message."

"Yeah. She's pissed because she lost her favorite toy." I muttered. "So, am I okay? What did my bioscan say?"

"The stab wound was pretty deep but you healed quickly in the tube. Billy said you should be good to fight by tomorrow at the latest." Trini replied. I shook my head, pulling the IV from my arm.

"I'm good to go now." I replied, standing.

"Kimberly, I don't believe that's a good idea." Jason said.

"Jason's right." Zordon said, appearing. "You went through a terrible injury. You need to rest."

"I am okay. I survived. The team needs me and I'm ready to fight again."

"No need." Trini said. "Strasser and Goldar retreated again. The team is teleporting back now."

"Good." I whispered, sitting back down. "I was honestly thinking I was going to pass out." Trini and Jason smiled at my joke as black, blue, red, yellow and green flashes of light filled the Command Center. Aisha, Billy, Rocky, Tommy and Zack removed their helmets, talking about the battle. When Tommy's eyes caught mine, he tossed his helmet and ran over to me. I was standing before he reached me and he scooped me up in his arms in a bone crushing hug. The Command Center fell quiet as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Hey." I whispered, running my hands through his hair. I felt him shudder and I knew he was crying. He buried his face into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I almost killed you." He said softly, holding me like a safety blanket.

"No. Rosita almost did. It's not your fault, Tommy. You couldn't control your actions." Shifting, I placed my hands on both sides of his face. His eyes were clouded with hurt and tears stained his face. Tommy looked much older now than he did before. "I'm just glad to have you back with me." Pulling him close, I kissed him deeply. I ignored the rest of the world as he lifted me off my feet. This was everything that mattered to me right now. Screw Rosita, Zedd, Rita, Goldar, all the rest of the bad guys. Hell, screw Zordon even for dragging us into this hell. Being with Tommy was the only thing that mattered to me. Him holding me right now is the only thing that's been keeping me going since I became a ranger. He's the reason why I'm still breathing and I had never known anything else in my life that could break and heal my heart within the same person.

"So, what now?" Zack asked as Tommy slipped out of my arms. Gripping my hands tightly, he turned to face the rest of the group.

"We do what we always do. We kick some ass and save the world."

 **Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing. Please stay tuned for the sequel titled "Wherever We Go."**


	38. Where Ever We Go - First glimpse!

Where Ever We Go

The shadows casted on the city of Angel Grove were dark. They moved slowly, eclipsing the sun with such a dark presence that it was as if night had fallen. The screech of metal on metal rippled throughout the city, echoing off the sides of the tall buildings in the business district. From the buildings, civilians emerged to look up at the sky. A collective gasp rose above them as their eyes landed on the large metallic beast flying low above Angel Grove. The rays of the sun that managed their way around the demonic being reflected off the sides of it, a silver and black glint glowing in them. The legs of the flying beast clawed towards the towering buildings, making sure to not make contact with their surfaces. People screamed and ran for cover, afraid of what would be coming next.

A smile pulled at the corners of Empress Rosita's lips from her position of her throne. From her place, she could see all that the beast saw. The reinforced windows before her showed the city; people running, cars screeching out of control and utter panic beginning to rise around them. She did her best to stifle the laugh that had been building in her chest. Yes, she thought. This is what was going to happen now. You fools have no clue what was coming. She drummed her long fingernails on the arm of the chair and thoughts of her parents. The great Lord Zedd and his wife, Rita Repulsa. How proud they would have been of her at this moment. Their only daughter flying their greatest creation, no Power Rangers to stop her now. She had done what they couldn't.

And now Angel Grove was going to pay for what they did to them.

-X-x-X-

Night had fallen and with it, a peaceful feeling across Angel Grove. Rosita had been quiet for the past 24 hours, her attacks stopping almost as quickly as they had been coming. It felt like she had been on quite the streak lately, sending down monsters every few hours. It left us tired, on edge and unsure of how to sort through the information we knew about here in the little time we had between battles. Rosita, daughter of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa had fooled us into thinking she was just their bratty daughter. We were mistaken to think she was going to be easy to take down. We all realized that now as we sat around the table in the kitchen area of the Command Center.

"Alright, guys. I think we should use this time to figure out a plan. We've been going non-stop with her monsters and Goldar's attack. We finally have the opportunity to think." Jason Scott said, standing at the head of the table. The 28-year-old looked tired and worn, his brown hair a mess on the top of his head. His brown eyes held bags under them and he looked as if he hadn't slept in days. The retired leader of the Power Rangers glanced around the room, his red sweat shirt making him stand out against the blue of the kitchen. His wife, Trini Kwan, reached out and rubbed his forearm. She also looked worn out. Her beautiful Asian face looked worrisome and crow's feet were more visible on her face than before. The former yellow ranger gave her husband a supportive smile before glancing at me.

"Jason's correct." Billy Cranston said, pulling out a stack of papers from the bag in his lap. The fluorescent lights above us shone off his glasses but I could still see the same tired feeling in them as the rest of the group. His blonde hair was combed neatly on his head, but he ran a hand through it just the same. On the papers, I could see blue prints of the Zords and the Megazord as well as computer readouts from the control room and medical bays. "I've compiled all the information available to assist us in our endeavors." The reinstated blue ranger explained.

"I wish that stack was higher." Zack Taylor mumbled, leaning forward in his chair. He sat next to Billy, his dark skin taking the same shade of milk chocolate under the lights of the kitchen. He stretched the top of his head, his short black hair cut close to his scallop. Across from him, Rocky Santos nodded, giving the black ranger a small smile.

"You and me both." He agreed. Rocky winced as he shifted forward in his seat for a better look at the plans. The reinstated red ranger had taken several hard hits these passed few days. The bruising was still visible on his arms and shoulders, but he did his best to not show weakness. His brown hair was gelled on the top of his head, him taking the chance to enjoy a hot a shower during the lull of fighting. In the seat next to him, his girlfriend Aisha Campbell placed a small tablet on the table. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a bun, her braids combined into a lump sum.

"Alpha programmed this to pick up the same readings as the Viewing Globe. I figured it would be useful when we were in here." She explained, adjusting her yellow t-shirt. She had come back to join the team as the yellow ranger, taking over for Trini who recently announced her second pregnancy. We deemed it too risky for her to be fighting in that condition, Jason as well. Rocky and Aisha joined the fight, promising to help us protect Angel Grove and the world again.

"Sounds great." Trini said, giving her successor a smile.

"Good thinking, Sha." I said, giving her hand a squeeze. Everyone turned to look at me.

"How's Tommy?" Zack asked, finally breaking the tension in the room. I shrugged, glancing at the door of the kitchen.

"Okay. He's sleeping now. I wanted to let him rest. He needs it." I said softly, my mind travelling up the hallway to the sleeping quarters where I had left the green ranger and the leader of the Power Rangers. I knew Tommy Oliver would be upset that I hadn't woke him for this, but he needed to rest. He had been fighting more than anyone, taking on Goldar and his right-hand man Strasser, alone at every battle it seemed. Though he hadn't been injured, I feared for his safety each time we teleported to a fight.

"He'll come around. It's still the effects of that spell." Jason said, giving me a supportive nod. I returned it, appreciating my best friend since grade school. He turned to the rest of the group. "Rosita is quiet. She must be planning something big right now as a counter attack. I doubt we managed to harm her in the last battle as much as I would have hoped. Goldar, on the other hand, won't be flying much for a while." He casted Rocky a wink who smiled. "We need to take out Strasser and Goldar for good though. Once she loses them, she will have to come out and fight her own battle. She can only have so many monsters in her arsenal."

"Tommy still needs to remain distant from Rosita." Billy said, poking his head forward. "We are unaware of her strength of the spell. She may still acquire some type of control over him if they should come into contact." I nodded.

"He knows. We spoke about it after I brought him back here. Once she shows up, he'll come back here just in case."

"Until then, we're going to have to keep on attacking Goldar and Strasser with everything we have. How's the Megazord coming along?" Jason asked, glancing at Billy. Billy took off is glasses and cleaned them on his blue knitted long sleeve shirt.

"It's functional. All the operating systems aren't working yet. Another day or so and it will be capable for assisting us in our efforts." Jason frowned, not happy about the answer. Not fighting with us was getting under his skin. I could see that each time we came back from a fight. Sitting around here "doing nothing" as he liked to put it was getting old for him. He wouldn't chance fighting though. It would be too risky for him and he couldn't dare think about leaving Trini a widow with two children to raise without him. "Aisha, Trini and I will continue to work on it as quickly as possible." Billy added, sensing his emotions. Jason nodded, removing his frown.

"Just let us know as soon as it happens. I wish I knew what she was planning right now." Jason said, cracking his knuckles.

"Hey." A voice said behind us from the door way. Turning, I saw the slender figure of Tommy Oliver standing there. His clothes were ruffled, his green tank top and black sweats looking slept in. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to fix the dark brown locks. "Did I miss the invite?"

"I figured you could use the sleep." I replied, giving him a small smile. He nodded, walking over and sliding into the chair next to me.

"Thanks. What'd I miss?" He asked.

"The Zords are almost ready to use again." Rocky replied, smiling at Billy. "And Aisha and Alpha made this cool tablet thingy that works with the viewing globe."

"Oh. Cool." Tommy replied, eyeing the tablet on the table. "Anything else?"

"Just trying to figure out what Rosita has planned." Jason replied. "Tommy, is there anything you can remember from your time there? Something she was hiding?" Tommy thought for a minute, trying his best to remember.

"Something about the basement, I guess. She wouldn't let anyone down there except Strasser. I always assumed those were his quarters because he was never on the Seventh Floor much." He offered, referring to the seventh floor of the Tricotta Hotel. It was crazy to think that just a week ago, I had checked in there for the high school reunion. My only worry at the time was facing Tommy. If only that was the worst thing to happen since we all returned home.

"Do we have a scan of the basement?" Trini asked, leafing through the papers on the table top. She found the maps of the hotel we had obtained after completing a whole scan of the building. The basement was the only one that wasn't fully outlined. It had been heavily cloaked, masking whatever was down there.

"From what we could tell, it looked like nothing was down there." Aisha said, opening the electronic blue print on the tablet. It projected the image into the air above it, letting us all see it. Frowning, Billy stood up and bent closer to the image.

"There seems to be a magnetic field surrounding the area." He stated, pointing at the black mass. "It is blocking the computer's electronic signals. It would interrupt the radar's imagining function."

"What's down there she's trying to hide so bad?" Zack asked, casting a side glance at Jason who shrugged.

"I don't know. It's too late to try to get in there and figure it out now. She has the whole place locked down and she isn't afraid to use the hotel guests as leverage." A silence fell over the room as we all looked at the basement reading floating in the air.

"Our best plan of action for right now is to get some rest. You guys have been going non-stop for days now." Trini said gently, standing. Her black maxi skirt and her yellow tank top flowed in a comfortable manner around her body. "And I mean everyone." She eyed her husband who gave her a small smile.

"Trini's right. Let's get some shut eye while we can. Zordon and Alpha will keep an eye on things while we do. We will all regroup in the morning." Jason grabbed the papers off the table and wrapped an arm around Trini's waist as the two of them walked out of the kitchen. Zack followed them, Rocky on his tail. Since Rocky and Aisha had joined back up with the team, a friendship had blossomed between the Rocky and Zack. The two had never served together before and they were relatively similar in personality it seemed. Aisha had her hands full trying to handle the both of them. Billy walked with her, them both talking in a hushed tone about something. I heard the words 'Zord' and 'Megazord' as they passed by. Once everyone was gone, Tommy stood and pushed his chair under the table.

"You should have woke me up, Kim." He said, leaning against the kitchen counter. I shrugged, standing as well.

"You haven't slept since we came back from the Seventh Floor. You needed it. Your body can't function correctly without it."

"I'll survive. I need to be involved in these meetings. I know the most about Rosita and her army. I could provide information we may need to defeat her."

"And you will give it to us. For now, you need to take care of yourself. It's only been 48 hours since you were under her spell. There are still some left over magic in your body. You know what Zordon said-."

"Yeah. I get it." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. Though the spell seemed to have been broken after I smashed the green globe controlling Tommy, Zordon had found traces of her magic still in Tommy. He felt that he would still need to be purified after Rosita was destroyed, leaving him with the evil spell somewhat still inside of him. Zordon had suggested sleep to help the rest of his powers to rebuild their strength to control the spell. Tommy hadn't been happy with that answer.

"Look, Tommy. I know this is hard for you. We're going o beat Rosita and purify you. We need you to be at the top of your game though and you aren't if you aren't taking care of yourself when you can." He scoffed.

"You're one to talk. You haven't slept since we came back either."

"Yes, I have. I slept in the repair chamber after Alpha teleported us." He squinted at me, raising an eyebrow.

"That was a coma. That isn't the same thing as sleep."

"I wasn't awake, was I?" I asked, giving him a small smile. He shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. "Killing yourself isn't going to change what happened that day." I said softly. His face hardened as he pushed himself off the counter.

"I'm going to get a training session in. Get some sleep." He kissed the top of my head before sweeping out the room.

"Tommy…" I whispered, watching him leave. hing him leave. /span/p


End file.
